A NEW tool to assess pain levels in people in the late stages of dementia is due to be released before the end of the year.
The PainChek app will use facial recognition technology to detect micro expressions, indicating the presence of pain in those unable to communicate their suffering.
The development has been led by Mustafa Atee, a research fellow from the School of Pharmacy at Curtin University.
Mr Atee said uncontrolled underlying pain can lead to behavioural problems, agitation, aggression, anxiety and depression in dementia patients.
"It is critical to be able to assess pain levels in order to manage it accurately and reduce suffering," he said.
"Typically people can rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst pain possible.
"It is possible for people in mild stages of dementia to do this, but as they get more impaired over time it is impossible.
"If self-reporting is not possible, the silver standard way to measure and evaluate pain is by using observational assessment tools.
"This is a very subjective measure and can be difficult in an aged care setting where a care worker may not be very familiar with residents."
The app, which has gone through four years of clinical trials, will provide a more effective way to evaluate pain.
Along with facial recognition technology, the smart phone enabled medical device will also record vocalisations. This will go towards the calculation of an overall pain score.
"The app records a lot of clinical data to assist in making a diagnosis," Mr Atee said.
"This is a peace-of-mind tool, making it easier to assess pain and reduce the suffering of individuals with dementia and the people who care for them."
Mr Atee said there are 400,000 people living with the condition, most likely to occur in those aged over 65. It is a time when chronic medical problems can occur and there is also a higher risk of falls.
Mr Atee's interest in dementia was sparked when he saw how difficult it was for his grandmother, who had the condition, to communicate in her last days.
An experience as a first-year student, when an elderly dementia patient verbally abused him for no apparent reason, also stayed with him.
"I have a passion for those living with dementia and knew I wanted to do something about it," he said.