Objective pain evaluation using fNIRS and ECG potential fluctuations

• Project/Area Number: 26861613
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Conservative dentistry
• Research Institution: Aichi Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Kyoko Inamoto 愛知学院大学, 歯学部, 講師 (00469008)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
• Keywords: 機能的近赤外分光法 / 多機能心電計 / 周波数解析 / 痛み / 客観的評価法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Pain is generally evaluated based on the patient's subjective expression. It would be useful for dentists to be able to score pain objectively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate intraoral pain objectively using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and wavelet analysis of the ECG potential fluctuations.
When prefrontal cortical hemodynamics associated with experimental periodontal pain was measured using fNIRS, the decrease in blood flow in all areas of the prefrontal cortex was confirmed. There was a significant positive correlation between objective data obtained from wavelet analysis of the ECG potential fluctuations and subjective pain data from a visual analogue scale (VAS) for periodontal pain intensity.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Experimental pain in the gingiva and its impact on prefirontal corticalhemodynamics: a functional near-infrared spectoscopy study (2014)
  • Author(s): Sakuma S, Inamoto K, HIguchi N, Ariji Y, Nakayama M, Izumi M,
  • Journal Title: Neiroscience letters Volume: 575 Pages: 74-79
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.05.040
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] Brain measures of experimental periodontal pain using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (2017)
  • Author(s): Kyoko Inamoto, Shigemitsu Sakuma, Naoya Higuchi, Kazuhiko Nakata
  • Organizer: 95th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research)
  • Place of Presentation: Moscone West（United States of America）
  • Year and Date: 2017-03-22
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 近赤外分光法を用いた痛み刺激時の前頭前野血流動態の測定 (2016)
  • Author(s): 稲本京子、樋口直也、佐久間重光、中田和彦
  • Organizer: 第23回日本歯科医学会総会
  • Place of Presentation: 福岡国際会議場（福岡県・福岡市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-10-21
• [Presentation] Prefrontal cortical hemodynamic response associated with pain in the gingiva (2015)
  • Author(s): Kyoko Inamoto, Naoya Higuchi, Shigemitsu Sakuma, Yoshiko Ariji, Kazuhiko Nakata
  • Organizer: International Association for Dental Research Australia and New Zealand Division Annual Scientific Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Dunedin Public Art Gallery (New Zealand)
  • Year and Date: 2015-08-23
  • Int'l Joint Research