A pain microcomputer system for clinical and laboratory investigation

This report describes the design and use of a mobile "Pain Microcomputer System" (PMS). As a mobile clinical and laboratory research tool the PMS integrates four functions: (1) psychophysical measurement of behavioral pain responses; (2) psychophysiologic recording, including brain evoked potentials, cortical power spectrum analysis, EKG and EMG; (3) data acquisition, analysis and display; (4) peripheral communications via modem allows interaction with larger computers for more complex data analyses, extensive graphics, etc. A word processor disk facilitates writing of scientific and clinical reports. Present and future capabilities of the system for comprehensive pain research and patient care are discussed.