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Published on: August 24, 2015
Medium-dose riboflavin as a prophylactic agent in children with migraine: a preliminary placebo-controlled,
Jacques Bruijn1, Hugo Duivenvoorden, Jan Passchier
1Vlietland Hospital, Schiedam, The Netherlands. jbruijn@ssvz.nl
Insights
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) at 50 mg/day did not significantly reduce migraine frequency in children. However, it showed potential in reducing tension-type headaches in pediatric migraine patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Nutritional Neuroscience
- Migraine Pathophysiology
Background:
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2) has shown promise for migraine prophylaxis in adults.
- The efficacy of riboflavin for migraine prevention in children remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prophylactic effect of 50 mg/day riboflavin on migraine and tension-type headache frequency in children.
- To assess the impact of riboflavin on headache severity and duration in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial involving 42 children (6-13 years) with migraine.
- Treatment phases included 16 weeks of placebo and 16 weeks of riboflavin, separated by a 4-week washout period.
- Primary outcome: reduction in mean headache frequency; Secondary outcomes: reduction in mean headache severity and duration.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the reduction of mean migraine attack frequency between riboflavin and placebo groups (P=0.44).
- A significant reduction in the mean frequency of tension-type headaches was observed with riboflavin treatment (P=0.04).
Conclusions:
- Daily 50 mg riboflavin supplementation does not demonstrate a prophylactic effect on migraine attacks in children.
- Evidence suggests riboflavin may offer a prophylactic benefit for interval headaches, potentially mild migraine or tension-type headaches, in pediatric migraine sufferers.
Background:
Riboflavin seems to have a promising effect on migraine in adults. The present study examines whether riboflavin has a prophylactic effect on migraine in children.
Objective:
To investigate whether riboflavin in a dosage of 50 mg/day has a prophylactic effect on migraine attacks in young children.
Subjects And Methods:
This randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial included 42 children (aged 6-13 years) with migraine of whom 14 children were also suffering from tension-type headache. Following a 4-week baseline period, all children received placebo for 16 weeks then riboflavin for 16 weeks (or vice versa) with a washout period of 4 weeks in between. The primary outcome measure was reduction in mean frequency of migraine attacks and tension-type headache in the last 4 weeks at the end of the riboflavin and placebo phase, compared with the preceding baseline or wash-out period. Secondary outcome measures were mean severity and mean duration of migraine and tension-type headaches in the last 4 weeks at the end of the riboflavin and placebo phase, compared with the preceding baseline or wash-out period.
Results:
No significant difference in the reduction of mean frequency of migraine attacks in the last month of treatment was found between placebo and riboflavin (P = 0.44). However, a significant difference in reduction of mean frequency of headaches with a tension-type phenotype was found in favour of the riboflavin treatment (P = 0.04).
Conclusions:
In this group of children with migraine, there is no evidence that 50 mg riboflavin has a prophylactic effect on migraine attacks. We found some evidence that 50 mg riboflavin may have a prophylactic effect on interval headaches that may correspond to mild migraine attacks or tension-type headache attacks in children with migraine.
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