A review paper by scientists at Indiana University Bloomington summarized recent engineering efforts in developing various sensors and devices for addressing challenges in the personalized treatment of pain.
The new review paper, published on Sept. 13 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, critically examines the role of artificial intelligence (AI)-guided sensors and devices in the field of personalized pain medicine, highlighting their transformative impact on treatment outcomes and patient quality of life.
Pain, a complex and subjective experience, markedly diminishes individual quality of life and imposes substantial burdens on healthcare systems. Despite the acknowledged universality and significance of pain, its accurate assessment and effective management pose persistent difficulties. “Personalized pain medicine aims to tailor pain treatment strategies for the specific needs and characteristics of an individual patient, holding the potential for improving treatment outcomes, reducing side effects, and enhancing patient satisfaction. Despite existing pain markers and treatments, challenges remain in understanding, detecting, and treating complex pain conditions,” explained study author Feng Guo, a professor at Indiana University Bloomington. Thus, they review recent engineering efforts in developing various sensors and devices for addressing challenges in the personalized treatment of pain. They summarize the basics of pain pathology and introduce various sensors and devices for pain monitoring, assessment, and relief. They also discuss advancements taking advantage of rapidly developing medical AI, such as AI-based analgesia devices, wearable sensors, and healthcare systems.
