Photoplethysmography Imaging for Assessment of Chronic Pain

The aim of the project is to develop a noninvasive optical method for chronic pain assessment, symptom differentiation and quantification of nociceptive fiber lesions, which is defined as skin microcirculation reaction lesions, which will be parameterized by physiological challenge tests using multiple wavelength photoplethysmography. The evaluation method includes a prototype of patient examinations, imaging data processing algorithms and software for calculating diagnostic parameters, and a physiological maneuver protocol. The method will be pre-clinically validated and compared with reference diagnostic methods in patient and control groups. The potential of the method in the evaluation of a patient's nociceptive dysfunction will be determined and the microcirculation reaction in various skin circulatory beds will be investigated.