Parisa Gazerani
Prof, PharmD, PhD
Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
NORWAY
Session 6 · DAY 1 (Nov. 5, 2026) · 14:15–14:45 CET
Digital Phenotyping of Orofacial Pain
Abstract
Orofacial pain comprises a heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by substantial interindividual variability in clinical presentation, symptom dynamics, and treatment response. Conventional assessment relies primarily on clinical examinations and patient self-report, providing only limited insight into the temporal fluctuations and real-world experiences of pain. Digital phenotyping, defined as the continuous collection and analysis of behavioral, physiological, and environmental data through smartphones, wearable sensors, and other connected technologies, offers a promising approach to complement traditional assessment and improve individualized pain management.
This lecture will introduce the principles of digital phenotyping and examine its emerging applications in orofacial pain research and clinical care. Current evidence on active and passive digital biomarkers, including ecological momentary assessment, sleep, physical activity, autonomic function, and patient-reported outcomes, will be discussed in the context of pain characterization, symptom monitoring, and treatment evaluation.
The presentation will further explore how multimodal digital data, combined with advances in artificial intelligence and data analytics, may contribute to more precise phenotyping, early detection of symptom changes, and personalized therapeutic decision-making. Methodological, ethical, regulatory, and implementation challenges will also be addressed to provide a balanced perspective on the current state of the field.
Digital phenotyping represents an emerging paradigm that has the potential to enhance the understanding, assessment, and management of orofacial pain by capturing health-related information continuously in real-world settings. Integrating these approaches into oral healthcare may support more individualized, data-informed, and patient-centered care while opening new avenues for research and clinical innovation.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the principles and components of digital phenotyping in the context of orofacial pain.
- Describe current evidence on digital biomarkers and their potential applications in assessment and monitoring.
- Discuss opportunities, challenges, and future directions for integrating digital phenotyping into oral healthcare.
Biography
Parisa Gazerani, PharmD, PhD, is Professor of Translational Neuropharmacology at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway, where she also serves as Co-leader of the ADEPT research group. Her research focuses on translational neuroscience, including pain mechanisms, neuropharmacology, biomarkers, digital health, and precision medicine, with a particular interest in integrating emerging technologies into personalized healthcare.
She has published extensively on pain, migraine, biomarkers, and digital approaches to health assessment, and actively collaborates across medicine, dentistry, engineering, and data science. She currently leads several interdisciplinary research initiatives aimed at translating mechanistic discoveries into clinically meaningful solutions that improve patient care and health outcomes.