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Automated 'pain drawing' analysis by computer-controlled, patient-interactive neurological stimulation system
Richard B North1, Daniel J Nigrin, Kim R Fowler
1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA Department of Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA.
Pain
|July 1, 1992
Summary
A new computer system analyzes patient pain drawings to improve spinal cord stimulator effectiveness. This automated method correlates well with patient reports and clinical outcomes, optimizing pain management.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pain Management
Background:
- Chronic pain affects millions, often managed with implanted neurological stimulators.
- Current methods for assessing stimulator effectiveness, like manual pain drawing analysis, can be inconsistent.
- Patient-interactive systems offer a potential for more objective and reproducible data collection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a computer-controlled system for collecting and analyzing pain drawings.
- To quantitatively assess the relationship between stimulation parameters, electrode configurations, and pain relief.
- To improve the objective evaluation of spinal cord stimulator efficacy.
Main Methods:
- A patient-interactive system using a graphics tablet for pain and paresthesia mapping.
- Development of image analysis software for quantitative assessment of pain drawing data.
- Multivariate statistical analysis of electrode configurations and their correlation with pain relief.
Main Results:
- The automated system showed high correlation with patient analog ratings of pain coverage by paresthesias.
- Automated analysis results correlated significantly with clinical observations of pain relief.
- A specific electrode configuration (cathode(s) flanked by anode(s)) demonstrated superior pain coverage compared to alternatives.
Conclusions:
- A computerized, patient-interactive system provides a reliable and objective method for pain drawing analysis.
- This system enhances the evaluation of spinal cord stimulator performance and optimizes electrode selection.
- The developed method shows promise for broader applications in pain management and neurological device assessment.