The University of Nebraska Medical Center is looking for 20
children between the ages of 7 and 18 years old who suffer from
frequent headaches. The children are needed for a UNMC study
evaluating whether headache therapy currently conducted in a
hospital clinic setting, can be done effectively in a primary
care or doctor’s office setting.
It is estimated that 6 to 10 percent of children get recurring
headaches that interfere with school and activities because of
the distraction of the pain, said Keith Allen, Ph.D., child
psychologist at the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and
Rehabilitation at UNMC and director of the study. Pain medication
can help some children, Dr. Allen said, but for others,
medication provides little relief or has undesirable side
effects.
In two previous headache studies involving children, Dr. Allen
found more than 85 percent experienced a reduction in headache
pain and 30 percent became headache-free by using biofeedback and
other pain management techniques used in the study. Children will
receive free treatment during the study.
"We’re going to test whether we can achieve equally
good results in settings other than our hospital clinic
setting," Dr. Allen said. "If the therapy is just as
effective in the outpatient setting, that will ultimately mean
more convenience and lower costs to the family and their
insurance company."
Through about five visits, children will be taught techniques
to prevent, reduce and manage pain, include keeping diaries and
learning to use equipment to perform biofeedback in the
outpatient setting. Parental involvement also is required to help
the child manage their pain more independently, Dr. Allen said.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the
state. Through its commitment to research, education and patient
care, UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading
centers for cancer research and treatment and solid organ
transplantation. Nearly $25 million in research grants and
contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually. In addition,
UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other
institution.
For more information, call (402) 559-6408.