The presence or absence of pain can be measured by a diagnostic tool that is being worked on, scientists from the Stanford University School of Medicine claimed. They have stated that the first step towards this has already been taken.

To figure out if someone is in pain, an objective assessment of physiological nature will be given by brain activity’s patterns.

About 81 per cent of the time thermal pain was predicted accurately when functional magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain combined with advanced computer algorithms were put to use by scientists to figure out pain.

Sean Mackey, the lead scientist said, “People have been looking for a pain detector for a very long time. We're hopeful we can eventually use this technology for better detection and better treatment of chronic pain.”

To measure kinds of pain, future studies are needed as stated by the scientists. The kinds of pain like chronic pain will be figured out as well and it is yet to see if these methods will help.

It will also be seen if the difference between emotionally aroused state like depression and anxiety can be differentiated from pain.