System and method for detecting pain and its components using magnetic resonance spectroscopy

• US 20050020905A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Research Council Canada, Northern Sydney Area Health Service, Sydney The University of Business Liaison Office
• Original Assignee: Sydney The University of Business Liaison Office
• Inventors: Somorjai, Rajmund L., Stanwell, Peter, Mountford, Carolyn E., Siddall, Philip John, Woodhouse, Anne
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4824 Touch or pain perception evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/483 with selection of signals or spectra from particular regions of the volume, e.g. in vivo spectroscopy

Abstract

A system and method identifies different components of the pain experience (nociceptive (tissue damage), neuropathic (nerve damage) and psychological) and their relative contributions by the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure absolute and relative concentrations of metabolites in specific brain regions in the central nervous system or brain. The system and method can be used as a diagnostic tool for the assessment of the relative contribution of different aspects of the pain experience as well as monitoring of response to interventions directed at modifying these components.

Claims

1. A method of detecting at least one component of pain being experienced by a subject, comprising:

obtaining spectroscopic data of the brain of a subject experiencing pain; and

comparing the spectroscopic data obtained with reference spectroscopic data having characteristic values which correlate with and identify at least two different pain components, to detect the presence of at least one pain component being experienced by the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two different pain components are at least two of nociceptive, neuropathic and psychological pain components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two different pain components comprise all three of nociceptive, neuropathic and psychological pain components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing comprises comparing spectroscopic data with reference spectroscopic data to determine relative contributions of the pain components being experienced by the subject.

5. An apparatus for detecting at least one component of pain being experienced by a subject, comprising:

a magnetic resonance spectrometer for obtaining spectroscopic data of the brain of a subject experiencing pain;

a memory device for storing reference spectroscopic data having characteristic values which correlate with and identify at least two different pain components; and

a comparator which compares the spectroscopic data obtained with the reference spectroscopic data to detect the presence of at least pain component being experienced by the subject.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least two different pain components are at least two of nociceptive, neuropathic and psychological pain components.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least two different pain components comprise all three of nocieptive, neuropathic and psychological pain components.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the comparator determines the relative contribution of each of the pain components being experienced by the subject.

9. A method of detecting whether a subject is experiencing a nociceptive pain component, comprising:

obtaining spectroscopic data of brain regions in the subject to determine the concentrations of a selected biochemical; and

comparing the biochemical concentration obtained with a reference biochemical concentration, whereby a difference in selected biochemical concentration relative the reference biochemical concentration is indicative of the presence of nociceptive pain.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the brain region is the prefrontal cortex.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected biochemical is glucose and the selected direction is an increase.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected biochemical is GABA and the selected direction is an increase.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected biochemical is N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and the selected direction is a decrease.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected biochemical is choline and the selected direction is an increase.