DOI: 10.1177/25158163261481054 ISSN: 2515-8163

Efficacy of aerobic training on resting-state brain wave, pain, sleep quality, and quality of life among university students with migraine symptoms: A randomized controlled trial

Kiruthika Selvakumar, Lee Fan Tan, Chai Nien Foo, Kit Mun Hou
Show PDF Cite

Background

Migraine is a paroxysmal neurovascular disorder characterised by cortical hyperexcitability and is often accompanied by sleep disturbances due to shared neural pathways. University students are particularly vulnerable, as stress and irregular sleep exacerbate symptoms and impair quality of life.

Objective

This study aims to assess the efficacy of aerobic training on resting-state alpha brain waves, migraine pain level, sleep quality, and quality of life, compared with electromyography biofeedback training and a placebo group among university students with migraine symptoms.

Methods

A pilot randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-test design using a parallel assignment intervention model and simple random sampling was conducted. University students meeting the criteria based on the Migraine Screen Questionnaire ≥ 4/5, International Classification of Headache Disorders , 3rd edition (ICHD-3) ≥ 5/7 were included. Participants with high scores on the Visual Aura Rating Scale, other primary headaches, and a history of secondary headaches associated with COVID-19 were excluded. Outcomes included resting-state EEG, migraine pain intensity level, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Migraine Specific Quality of Life Scale, assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks of intervention.

Results

A total of 87 university students with migraine symptoms completed the study. A significant time × group interaction effect was observed for resting-state alpha brain waves ( P  = .002), particularly in 10 Hz ( P  = .004) and 11 Hz ( P  = .001) bands, pain intensity ( P  = .001), sleep quality ( P  < .001), and quality of life ( P  < .001). Post-hoc analysis showed the aerobic training had significantly greater alpha wave activity than both the biofeedback ( P  < .001) and placebo groups ( P  < .001). Sleep quality and quality of life were significantly better in the aerobic and biofeedback training compared with the placebo group ( P  < .001 and P  = .001, respectively). Effect sizes ranged from small (0.138 for alpha waves; 0.147 for pain intensity; 0.169 for sleep quality) to large (0.526 for quality of life).

Conclusion

The results suggest that aerobic training offers greater benefits than biofeedback in enhancing cortical alpha activity, improving sleep quality, and enhancing quality of life in young adults with migraine.

Trial Registration

The study is also registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System (Identifier: NCT05741775).

More from our Archive