A mobile application developed by the ibs.GRANADA improves the classification and understanding of pain experiences in women who overcome breast cancer
The study, published in the journal Digital Health, validates PaiNEd, a pioneering technological tool to improve the assessment of pain associated with central sensitization.
A team of researchers from the Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.GRANADA) and the University of Granada (UGR) has developed PaiNEd, a mobile application designed to help understand the experiences of persistent pain in women who have overcome breast cancer. The application makes it possible to identify whether this pain may be related to central sensitization, a problem in which the nervous system processes pain signals in an exaggerated way, significantly affecting the quality of life of patients.
PaiNEd, available for Android and iOS devices, uses an advanced algorithm that combines data on pain distribution, intensity, and specialized questionnaires, such as the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI)It also assesses psychological factors such as fear of movement and catastrophizing, providing healthcare professionals with a reliable tool to classify pain and better understand patients' experiences. This facilitates the design of personalized treatments aimed at managing the central nervous system, including innovative strategies such as education in pain neuroscience.
The study, conducted by researchers from the A02-Take Care of Yourself group: Oncology Care and Advances in Sports Medicine of the ibs.GRANADA and BIO277 of the UGR, validated the reliability of PaiNEd through an analysis carried out with 21 women who survived breast cancer and were treated in hospitals in Granada.
The results showed that the app-based assessments were as reliable as traditional paper-based assessments. Furthermore, PaiNEd was able to identify with high accuracy patients who presented symptoms related to central sensitization, confirming its effectiveness as an innovative diagnostic tool.
The study highlights how cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy) can perpetuate chronic pain, highlighting the need for innovative tools such as PaiNEd to address these challenges.
PaiNEd represents a significant advance in cancer care, improving the collection of clinical data and facilitating communication between patients and healthcare professionals. This development is part of a project funded by the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), focused on evaluating the impact of educational tools such as the study of pain neuroscience combined with multimodal programs that include therapeutic exercise and myofascial induction techniques.
About the group:
El grupo A02-Take care: Oncology Care and Advances in Sports Medicine, from the Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.GRANADA), is a multidisciplinary team dedicated to researching the effectiveness of physiotherapy and nursing in the management of chronic pain and the after-effects of oncological treatments. They have a laboratory internationally recognized for its studies on the immune and hormonal response to pain, and their lines of research range from rehabilitation in breast and colon cancer to musculoskeletal disorders in head and neck cancer, as well as sports injuries.
More information: https://www.ibsgranada.es/grupos-de-investigacion/a02-cuidate-cuidados-oncologia/
Bibliographic reference:
Fernández-Gualda, M. Á., Ariza-Vega, P., Galiano-Castillo, N., Tovar-Martín, I., Ortiz-Comino, L., Lozano-Lozano, M., & Fernández-Lao, C. (2024). PaiNEd app. Assessing central sensitization in survivors of breast cancer: A reliability study. In DIGITAL HEALTH (Vol. 10). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241260150
