Comparison of Cognitive - Behavioral Therapy, Desensitization with Eye Movements and Biofeedback on Migraine Attacks, Anxiety Sensitivity, Quality of Sleep and Life

Considering the negative psychological consequences of migraine, this study was conducted with the aim of comparing cognitive-behavioral therapy, desensitization with eye movements and biofeedback on migraine attacks, anxiety sensitivity, and quality of sleep and life of women with migraine.

The present research was semi-experimental with a pretest, posttest and follow-up design with a control group. The research population was all women suffering from migraine headaches who referred to Ayandeh Chashmandaz Clinic of Tehran city in 2020 year, which number of 60 people of them were selected by simple random sampling and randomly assigned to four equal groups. The cognitive-behavioral therapy group received 11 sessions of 90 minutes as a group, the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing group received 12 sessions of 90 minutes as an individual, the biological feedback group received 15 sessions of 45 minutes as an individual, and during this time the group did not receive training. The data were collected with headache diary note form, anxiety sensitivity inventory, Pittsburgh sleep quality index and quality of life questionnaire and were analyzed by multiple variance analysis method in SPSS version 25 software.

The findings showed that in both posttest and follow-up stages in number and intensity of migraine attacks the effect of all three intervention methods was greater than the control group, and the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy was greater than eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and biological feedback (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two methods of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and biological feedback (P>0.05). In during migraine attacks the effect of all three intervention methods was greater than the control group, and the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy was greater than eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and biological feedback, and the effect of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing was greater than biological feedback (P<0.05). Also, in both posttest and follow-up stages in anxiety sensitivity and sleep quality the effect of all three intervention methods was greater than that control group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the methods (P>0.05). In addition, in both posttest and follow-up stages in quality of life the effect of all three intervention methods was greater than the control group, and the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy was greater than eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and biological feedback (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two methods of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and biological feedback (P>0.05).

According to the results of the current research, health therapists and professionals can be use all three methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy, with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and biological feedback, especially cognitive behavioral therapy to improve migraine attacks, anxiety sensitivity, sleep quality and quality of life of women with Migraine.