Have you been diagnosed with migraine headaches? Have you tried taking preventative drugs for your migraines with little effect? If you have tried these medications to prevent migraines — without significant improvement — you may be eligible for a new clinical research trial called ESCAPE.

Leading the trial is Dr. Robert Sommer, Director of the Adult Invasive Congenital Heart Services at CIVT is conducting the trail at Columbia University MedicalCenter. Dr. Sommer hopes the trial may help uncover a new answer for migraine sufferers.

ESCAPE (Effect of Septal Closure of Atrial PFO on Events of Migraine with Premere™) is a new clinical trial that studies the link between a heart condition called PFO and the incidence of migraines. PFO, or patent foramen ovale, is a heart defect that forms when a small hole between the right and left upper chambers of the heart (atria) don' t close in infancy. About 25% of all adults have a PFO, but for most people it does not cause serious health problems.

There may be a cause-effect relationship between your migraines and PFO several clinical experiences have shown a possible link between PFOs and migraines. Several doctors have reported that closing a PFO in patients with migraine headaches and a previous stroke has reduced the frequency and intensity of migraines.

Find out if you or someone you know may be a candidate for this trial. Take the online self-assessment survey at ESCAPE brochure. To contact Dr. Robert Sommer call 212.342.5555 or email him at chddoctor@aol.com.