Researchers Search For More Precise Ways To Measure Pain

Scientists are developing biomarkers to objectively measure pain, addressing a fundamental medical challenge that has contributed to the opioid crisis and led to consistent underestimation of pain in women and minorities.

Four research teams funded by the Department of Health and Human Services are developing technologies to quantify pain like other vital signs. Their approaches include a blood test for endometriosis pain, a device measuring nerve response through pupil dilation, microneedle patches sampling interstitial fluid, and a wearable sensor detecting pain markers in sweat.

'When patients are told that the pain is all in their head, the implication is that it's imagined, but the irony is that's sort of right,' said Adam Kepecs, a neuroscience professor at Washington University. 'The pain only exists in your brain. It's neural activity, which is why it's invisible and uniquely personal. But it's still real.' These innovations could transform treatment for the nearly 25% of Americans suffering from chronic pain, while potentially saving billions in healthcare costs.

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