In view of the growing demand for developing a \u201clie detector\u201d test for chronic pain based on brain scans, a task force consisting of researchers from around the world has advised against such a practice because of lack of proof.\u201cIt\u2019s not possible at this point in time to say with any degree of certainty that a person does or does not have chronic pain based on brain imaging,\u201d said Karen Davis from Krembil Research Institute at University Health Network in Toronto, Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way to truly know if someone is in pain is if they tell you because pain is subjective and it is a complex experience. No brain scan can do that,\u201d Davis, who is also a Professor at the University of Toronto, added.<\/p>\n
The recommendations of the task force – which consisted of clinicians, brain imaging researchers as well as experts in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), neuroethics and law – were published in the journal Nature Review: Neurology.<\/p>\n
In recent years, advances in brain imaging have led to a shift in understanding of acute and chronic pain and prompted the search for brain-based biomarkers for key characteristics of pain.<\/p>\n
However, as brain imaging measures become more acceptable for directing personalised pain management, the demand is also growing for this data to be used for legal purposes, including the development of a potential \u2018lie detector\u2019 test for chronic pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cUse of such tools would be inappropriate and unethical,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis technology is not foolproof. There are vast issues of variability between people and even within a person at different times. As a result, brain imaging must not be used as a lie detector for chronic pain,\u201d Davis noted.<\/p>\n
The task force\u2019s recommendations include the suggestion that any brain-based biomarkers should be used only as an adjunct to rather than a replacement for subjective reports of pain, even if testing is improved and valid protocols developed.<\/p>\n
The task force hopes the recommendation will be used as a blueprint by healthcare systems, governments and legal policy makers, Davis noted.<\/p>\n
\u201dWe are working towards biomarkers for chronic pain, but the goal is not as a lie detector test but rather to help provide personalized pain treatment options for patients,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n
IANS<\/strong><\/p>\n Picture courtesy: Alamy<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In view of the growing demand for developing a \u201clie detector\u201d test for chronic pain based on brain scans, a task force consisting of researchers from around the world has advised against such a practice because of lack of proof.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[28,29],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4819"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4819"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4821,"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4819\/revisions\/4821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kt10.khaleejtimes.ae\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}