September 21

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Detecting patients’ pain levels via their brain signals

By Peter Julian

September 21, 2019


A new system called the fNIRS is helping doctors analyze patient pain levels by monitoring their brain signals. Sensors connected to this machine are placed on the patient’s prefrontal cortex, and medical professionals are given direct patterns depicting the level of pain the individual is experiencing. This is a huge breakthrough for noncommunicative patients, including those who have just gotten out of surgery. Experts suggest that this system will help prevent future addiction issues with patients by avoiding overtreating them.

Key Takeaways:

  • This method of pain detection could be monumental for patients who are non-communicative, including those who have just had surgery.
  • Correctly detecting and treating pain levels is imperative when it comes to preventing overtreating and future addiction.
  • The system used is called an fNIRS, and it is connected through sensors placed around the patient’s head.

“Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have developed a system that measures a patient’s pain level by analyzing brain activity from a portable neuroimaging device.”

Read more: https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/pain-levels

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