A mobile application that allows people suffering from migraine headaches and facial pain to record the location of the pain in real-time on an iPhone or iPad has won first prize in the University of Michigan (U-M) Mobile Apps Challenge.
PainTrek was developed by Alexandre DaSilva, DDS, director of the School of Dentistry's Headache and Orofacial Pain Effort, who collaborated with the university's 3D Lab, according to a press release.
The free PainTrek app has a menu that allows patients to describe the intensity of the pain, how the pain is affecting their lives, what triggers it, and other symptoms, such as nausea. The information is recorded, tracked, and analyzed so the pain can be more effectively treated and clinicians can develop a long-term pain management plan.
Taking advantage of touchscreen technology, the app launches a 3D model of the head with vertical and horizontal coordinates superimposed over anatomical landmarks. Similar to geographical coordinates on a map, the individual touches the location on the screen to pinpoint the location of the pain and rate its intensity.
The PainTrek application is aimed at people ages 20 to 40 because they are technologically savvy. The app may help clinicians and researchers find new ways to treat pain in the orofacial region.
About 200 patients a month are currently treated at the university's pain clinic.
For now, the PainTrek is available only on Apple devices, but the researchers are working to adapt the app for other mobile devices.
