Unlocking the Mystery: Decoding Brain Signals to Foretell Pain Intensity

Brain Signals Can Predict Chronic Pain Intensity

A new study has shown that brain signals can be used to predict the degree of pain a person is experiencing.

Implications for Chronic Pain Treatment

The results of this study have great implications for the development of treatments for chronic pain conditions such as post-stroke pain or phantom limb pain following amputation. The NHS describes chronic pain as pain that lasts for more than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment. Experts say current treatments for the condition are often ineffective in managing chronic pain, and frequently prescribed opioids run the risk of patients overdosing on their medications.

Objective Biomarkers of Pain

Pain is known to be subjective and varies from person to person, and its severity is usually assessed through self-reports, which may be incomplete. The researchers argue that the discovery of objective biomarkers – biomarkers – of pain will help in the diagnosis and possible treatments for chronic pain.

The Study

Prasad Shirwalkar of the University of California at San Francisco and colleagues implanted electrodes in pain-related areas of the brain in four patients with chronic pain, three with post-stroke pain, and one with phantom limb pain. Over a period of three to six months, patients reported their pain levels while electrodes recorded brain activity in two brain regions: the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).

Predicting Pain Intensity

Using artificial intelligence techniques, the authors were able to successfully predict pain intensity in each patient based on brain activity with high sensitivity. They also found that they could distinguish between chronic pain and acute thermal pain experienced by the participant.

Implications for Clinical Trials

The findings could have a direct bearing on clinical trials of a procedure called deep brain stimulation to control chronic pain. Deep brain stimulation sends electrical impulses to the brain to disrupt problematic signals. Because it is associated with brain surgery, deep brain stimulation is the last resort, but it is already being used for Parkinson’s disease and major depressive disorder. For this to be effective, clinicians must know exactly which signals to target.

Customized Brain Stimulation Therapy

“We are trying to develop brain stimulation therapy to treat pain. The main problem in the past has been that one size doesn’t fit all. Therefore, we hope that in terms of treatment, this will help to target brain stimulation therapy tailored to each individual. Shervalkar said.

Conclusion

This study proves to be critical in identifying objective biomarkers of pain and providing hope for the development of customized brain stimulation therapy. The findings of this research have practical implications for future developments of systems that instantly detect pain in the brain.

Source: Independent

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