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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery
Published on: April 14, 2016
From Association to Prediction: Translational Barriers in Pain Biomarker Research
Gustavo Fabregat-Cid1,2, Natalia Escrivá-Matoses3, José De Andrés2,4
1Multidisciplinary Pain Management Department, University General Hospital, 46014 Valencia, Spain.
Journal of Personalized Medicine
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Candidate pain biomarkers show promise for personalized chronic pain treatment but face translation challenges. Methodological rigor and clear definitions are needed for clinical actionability.
Area of Science:
- Pain research
- Biomarker discovery
- Precision medicine
Background:
- Pain biomarkers are proposed for patient stratification and treatment selection in chronic pain.
- Despite extensive research, clinical translation of pain biomarkers remains limited due to conceptual and methodological gaps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine why biologically informative pain biomarkers are not yet clinically actionable.
- To outline requirements for translating biomarker discovery into precision pain medicine.
Main Methods:
- Distinguishing between associative, mechanistic, monitoring, preventive, and predictive biomarkers.
- Analyzing methodological limitations in current biomarker studies (e.g., timing of measurement, sample size, validation).
Main Results:
- Many "predictive" biomarker studies lack external validation and use inappropriate measurement timing.
- The distinction between different biomarker types (predictive, monitoring, mechanistic) is often unclear.
Conclusions:
- A rigorous framework for defining and validating predictive biomarkers is essential for clinical application.
- Addressing methodological requirements will enable pain biomarker research to advance individualized therapeutic decision-making.
