EEG test measures pain better than ‘smiley face’ scale
November 7th, 2018 Posted by Mollie Rappe-Brown
University
Brown University
A new electroencephalography-based test could offer a better way for patients to rate their pain and could also ease the over-prescription of opioids, a new study shows.
If you’ve ever visited the emergency department with appendicitis, or you’re one of the 100 million US adults who suffer from chronic pain, you’re probably familiar with a row of numbered faces, with expressions from smiling to grimacing, used to indicate pain levels.
“Sadly, this scale of smiley faces, called the visual analogue scale, is the gold-standard pain-assessment tool.â€
Despite that tool’s widespread use, a more empirical approach would better serve both patients and the physicians who provide care, some researchers say.
https://www.futurity.org/eeg-test-pain-opioids-1905992/