Open-Label Placebos as Adjunct for the Preventive Treatment of Migraine

Can open-label placebos (OLPs), administered without deception, reduce headache days or improve related outcomes in patients with migraine?In this randomized clinical trial, a 3-month OLP regimen did not reduce monthly headache days (the primary outcome) or migraine days (a secondary outcome). Patients receiving OLPs did experience significant improvements in the secondary outcomes of pain-related disability, quality of life, and patient-reported global improvement.The results of this study suggest that OLPs might have a supportive role in migraine care for selected patients, compared with those receiving treatment as usual.

Corresponding Author: Julian Kleine-Borgmann, MD, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147 Essen, Germany (julian.kleine-borgmann@uk-essen.de).

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