Home- vs. clinic-based biofeedback treatment for pediatric migraine: results of treatment through one-year follow-up.

While temperature biofeedback and related bio-behavioral procedures have become common in the treatment of adult migraineurs, the application of these techniques to the pediatric population has lagged far behind. The current investigation was undertaken to examine various methods for delivering biofeedback with this population. Nine children participated in this single-subject, clinical replication series in which clinic-based therapist-administered, home-based child-administered, and home-based parent-administered treatment formats were evaluated. Headache activity was assessed through the use of a daily headache log. Overall, results supported the utility of temperature biofeedback in the treatment of pediatric migraine. Further, it was suggested that home-based treatments may represent an equally efficacious and more cost-effective alternative to traditional clinic-based treatments. Finally, treatment effects were found to be stable, with results maintaining through a one-year follow-up period.