New method distinguishes between physical and psychological pain
Published: Wednesday, Aug 21st 2024, 09:30
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A new method enables doctors to better distinguish between physical and psychological pain. The approach developed by researchers at ETH Zurich is intended to help improve the treatment of patients' pain.
Severe pain often has physical causes. However, psychosocial factors influence how we perceive this pain. Until now, however, it has been difficult for doctors to clearly separate the two components, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) announced on Wednesday.
Together with researchers from Balgrist University Hospital, the scientists compiled a large dataset with data from 118 volunteers. Some of them were people with chronic pain, others were healthy control subjects.
They interviewed the participants in detail about their perception of pain and psychosocial symptoms such as depression and anxiety. To record the physical reaction to pain, they treated the participants with painful heat impulses on the skin and measured brain activity and the electrical conductivity of the skin.
Evaluation with AI
The researchers analyzed the data using machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence (AI). They developed a pain index for each of the two pain components, i.e. physical and psychological pain.
The index for the physical component of pain indicates the extent to which the pain is caused by physical processes. The index for the psychosocial component indicates the extent to which emotional and psychological factors intensify the pain. According to ETH Zurich, this allows the physical and psychosocial components of pain to be quantified.
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