Integrated biopsychosocial signatures: moving beyond isolated biomarkers to predict, prevent, and treat persistent pain

Abstract

Persistent pain affects one-fifth of the global population, creating a healthcare crisis that defies conventional treatments and understanding. This perspective examines how pain research is evolving from seeking isolated biomarkers to developing composite biomarker signatures that integrate neuroimaging, multiomics, and sensor data. The future requires further advancement toward integrated biopsychosocial signatures that combine these biological markers with psychological and social factors to create truly holistic pain characterizations. Achieving this requires shifting from siloed research to team science integrating diverse disciplines and patient perspectives. Through artificial intelligence and cross-disciplinary collaboration, we can envision making persistent pain predictable, preventable, and precisely treatable while maintaining the patient's voice as central to compassionate care.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Biosignatures; Pain; Phenotypes.