Brain scans to identify and measure pain levels

Scientists may be optimistic that it is time for them to measure emotions such as anxiety, sadness or anger, after a group of American researchers use brain scanning to identify and measure levels. Pain of the patient , as well as determining the effectiveness of the treatment.

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The results of their study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 10.

Neurologist from the University of Colorado and lead researcher, Mr. Tor Wager, said that there is no official method to measure the level of pain or emotion in the current treatment. In addition to the traditional way of doing things, it is to ask patients directly. But this method is not really reliable because the words of patients often carry subjective factors.

The group of scientists conducted four experimental steps for 144 healthy volunteers. These volunteers were asked to endure various levels of heat, from warm to very hot in the arm, while scientists monitored their brains with magnetic resonators.

During the experiment, scientists found that the human brain emits a separate nerve signal when it hurts. Based on this signal, scientists can determine the patient's pain level with an accuracy of 90-100%.

In a number of other related experiments, the authors also found that this brain signal is only released when the patient is physically in pain and demonstrates the effect of painkillers. When the volunteers were given painkillers, observations showed that the neural signals that showed pain from the brain decreased.

The method of measuring the level of pain with brain scans still needs to be studied further before it can be applied widely, but scientists hope in the future, this new discovery in the future will help alleviate the pain of human diseases as well as promote scientific research in this area.