Interventions for migraine prophylaxis: protocol of an umbrella systematic review and network meta-analysis

Multiple interventions are effective for migraine prophylaxis. However, the comparative effectiveness of these interventions is still not clear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to summarise the direct and indirect evidence for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to prevent migraine attack.

We will perform an umbrella systematic review to identify eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for the recommended interventions for migraine prophylaxis according to the guidelines. A comprehensive literature search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane library for systematic reviews, which will be screened for RCTs. We will describe the general information of the RCTs for participants, interventions, outcome measurements, comparisons and the primary findings. Additionally, a network meta-analysis will be conducted to determine the comparative effectiveness of the treatments with a random-effects model. The absolute and relative effectiveness of the treatments will be provided. The heterogeneity and inconsistency between trials will be assessed by the I(2) statistical test and Cochrane's Q test. Risk of bias will be assessed and the overall strength of the evidence will be summarised.

The result of this network meta-analysis will provide direct and indirect evidence of treatments for migraine prophylaxis, and it may provide a ranking of the treatments for patients and clinicians to help them select the best option.

PROSPERO CRD42015015297.