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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
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Quantifying Pain Location and Intensity with Multimodal Pain Body Diagrams
Published on: July 7, 2023
Computerized assessment of pain drawing area: A pilot study
Anna Wenngren1, Britt-Marie Stålnacke
1Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Sweden.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
|September 2, 2009
Summary
Computerized assessment of pain drawings can measure pain area in chronic pain patients. This method shows potential for correlating pain area with pain intensity and activity levels.
Area of Science:
- Pain management and assessment
- Medical imaging and analysis
Background:
- Chronic pain assessment traditionally relies on subjective measures.
- Quantifying pain area from patient drawings presents challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a computerized method for measuring pain area from patient-drawn pain figures.
- To explore the application of this computerized pain area measurement in chronic pain patients.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-two chronic pain patients completed questionnaires (VAS, DRI, LiSat-11) and filled out paper pain drawings.
- Pain drawings were subsequently analyzed using a computerized assessment tool.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant correlation was observed between the measured pain area and pain intensity (VAS).
- Pain area also showed a significant correlation with disability (DRI) and a near-significant negative correlation with life satisfaction (LiSat-11).
- No significant gender differences were found in pain area, pain intensity, or disability.
Conclusions:
- Computerized assessment of pain drawings is a feasible method for quantifying pain area.
- This technique shows promise for correlating objective pain area measurements with subjective patient-reported outcomes.
- The study suggests a link between pain drawing area and both pain intensity and functional disability.
