CALLING all migraine sufferers in Cumbria - a team of neurologists needs your help.

The experts, led by Dr Jitka Vanderpol, are conducting a trial of a novel new cooling treatment in the North of England.

They are seeking 90 people who have experienced one to five migraines per month for more than a year, with no changes to their medication in the past three months.

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Participants should be aged 18-70 with no history of heart disease and no current or planned pregnancy.

The BrainCool-Migraine treatment works to reduce headache pain by introducing cooling into the passageways of the nose through two small cannulas. It is believed this cooling may cause blood vessels surrounding the brain to narrow, thus relieving the pain and symptoms of migraine. The cooling may also directly affect cell-signalling in the brain, which may stop a migraine headache.

“Among adults of all ages, migraine is one of the top 20 causes of disability," said Dr Vanderpol. "It is becoming increasingly important to find novel, drug-free methods to treat migraine headache. A recent pilot trial has shown that intra-nasal cooling appears to be an effective, quick and well-tolerated treatment. Our team is now starting a larger randomised clinical trial to provide further evidence of benefit from this application."

People who meet the criteria will be asked to complete a questionnaire to see if they can receive the new treatment. If suitable, they will be given either a BrainCool device or a placebo for use during their next three migraines.

If you are interested in taking part, email research@cumbria.nhs.uk or call 07920-288244 or 01228-603145.