This new app can 'read' pain levels in people's faces

It is taken for granted that when you are in pain, you should be able to describe it. But for people who have difficulty communicating, such as those with dementia, telling someone about the pain they are in could be the reason for delayed or wrong diagnosis. Now, thanks to a newly-developed technology that can read pain levels in people’s faces, these patients can receive the help they need.

Painful face

The smartphone apps, developed using technology that was invented by Iraqi-Australian researcher, Dr Mustafa Abdul Wahed has been used for over 12,000 diagnoses, according to SBSArabic24. Additionally, over 1.5 million pain assessments have been completed since the technology was commercialized in 2017.

It is thought that many countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK have been using the apps on a daily basis to assess and score pain levels in dementia patients, the Australian news outlet reports. Peter Shergill is one of the business development director PainCheck, one of the apps developed using this technology. He told CNN:

It’s very difficult for humans to decode the emotions of the person’s face. So the tool applies artificial intelligence and algorithms to decode the face based on decades of research.

Groundbreaking

The team of scientists from the school of pharmacy at Curtin University in Western Australia who invented the technology set out to find a better alternative to subjective paper-based assessments.

A common method of assessing pain dementia patients with severe communication impairment is to have their carers observe their facial expressions and behaviour. The results are then interpreted according to standardized scale, CNN.

Shergill is hopeful apps like PainCheck will make it easier for patients with Alzheimer’s and other memory related conditions to receive necessary care.

Where pain goes undetected or untreated in people living with dementia, it can manifest in difficult-to-control behaviours, which subsequently people try to control with antipsychotic medication, which brings further risks.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/tech/painchek-pain-ai-spc-intl/index.html

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/arabic/en/podcast-episode/major-award-for-iraqi-australian-doctor-behind-breakthrough-app-which-can-read-faces-to-gauge-pain-levels/c61aunnfy

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22487749/

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