Colourful new test expresses pain level

IT can be hard to know when a baby or dementia patient is in persistent pain because they can’t effectively communicate their level of suffering.

But a breakthrough blood test that identifies chronic pain using colour biomarkers could fix this challenging situation faced by many doctors.

The world-first test, called the “painHS” test, was developed by a team of Australian scientists after discovering chronic pain was biologically a different colour in immune cells to regular acute pain.

The test can differentiate between the colours of pain in the blood using light measurement tools, immediately detecting those in chronic pain.

“We are literally quantifying the colour of pain,” said neuroscientist Prof Mark Hutchinson, who unveiled the test in Sydney yesterday.

Prof Hutchinson believes the test will be a cost-effective way for doctors to accurately determine the severity of chronic pain in patients with back issues, cancer and migraine.

Those unable to describe their suffering, such as very young children and those with dementia, would especially benefit, he said.

“Self-reporting (by patients) is still going to be key but what this does is that those forgotten people who are unable to communicate their pain conditions, such as babies or people with dementia, can now have their condition diagnosed and treated,” he said.

The test also had the potential to revolutionise pain treatment for animals, Prof Hutchinson said.

“Animals can’t tell us if they’re in pain but here we have a Dr Dolittle-type test that enables us to ‘talk’ to the animals, so we can find out if they are experiencing pain and then we can help them,” he said.

It’s hoped the painHS test will be ready for broader use by pain medicine physicians and GPs within 18 months.