A Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial Using Trazodone in Pediatric Migraine

SYNOPSIS
An 8-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial was carried out on the use of trazodone in pediatric migraine prophylaxis. It involved 40 patients aged 7 to 18 years old and suffering from migraine without aura, randomly divided into 2 groups.
After a 4-week run-in period, Group A received oral trazodone (1 mg/kg a day divided into 3 doses) for 12 weeks, while Group B received a placebo. After a further 4-week washout period, Group A was given the placebo and Group B was treated with trazodone for a further 12 weeks. The trial was completed by 35 patients, the number of drop-outs being comparable in the two groups.
During the first treatment period, both the frequency and the duration of the migraine episodes were significantly reduced in both groups. During the second, a significant further improvement in both parameters was only observed in Group B. No side-effects were observed at any time. Our results showed that, like other antidepressants, trazodone is a valid prophylactic agent for juvenile migraine.