It's possible to do tests to measure how intoxicated someone is, what drugs they have in their system, or how much their eyesight has deteriorated, but there's no way to know how much pain a person is in with asking.
Well, not anymore that is.
Now, researchers at the Indiana University School Of Medicine have developed a way to chemically test for a person's pain levels. They do this by looking for biomarkers in the patient's blood that can objectively determine how much they're hurting.
"These biomarkers can be used to identify who is at risk of future pain episodes, and intervene early to prevent such episodes," Indiana University psychiatry professor Alexander Niculescu told Digital Trends. "They can also be used to precisely match patients to medications that they would respond to. Last but not least, they provide an objective readout for pain, and a way of measuring response to treatment."
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"For an individual already in pain, they do not need biomarkers to tell them they are suffering - but they need biomarkers to precisely match them with the best treatment. It also provides objective proof that it is not all in their head; they are not making it up. When the biomarkers are improving with treatment, it provides hope."
One thing the researchers hope the new development will do, is reduce the dependence on opioid painkillers, especially in the US. Instead of being overprescribed, doctors will be able to determine the exact amount needed. Indeed, it might even provide the means to regulate the prescription of opioid overall, when unnecessary.
"We would like to conduct more extensive studies, in larger populations, to establish normative levels of these biomarkers in different subpopulations, with different diagnoses, and which medications should be used for those subpopulations," Niculescu added. "Already in our initial work, we are seeing gender differences."