Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32573041›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2020

Crying out in pain-A systematic review into the validity of vocalization as an indicator for pain.

Loreine M L Helmer, Roxane A F Weijenberg, Ralph de Vries, Wilco P Achterberg, Stefan Lautenbacher, Elizabeth L Sampson, Frank Lobbezoo

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of pain (London, England), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.9field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Facial Expressions as a Nexus for Health Assessment.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Vocal pain expression augmentation for a robopatient.Frontiers in robotics and AI · 2023
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Loreine M L HelmerDepartment of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Roxane A F WeijenbergDepartment of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ralph de VriesMedical Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Wilco P AchterbergDepartment of Public Health and Primary care, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Stefan LautenbacherPhysiological Psychology, Otto Friedrich University Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.
Elizabeth L SampsonMarie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
Frank LobbezooDepartment of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
University of Amsterdam · NLVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NLLeiden University Medical Center · NLUniversity College London · GBUniversity of Bamberg · DE

Funding

Marie Curie MCCC-FCO-11-U
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVocalization is often used to assess pain, sometimes combined with other behaviours such as facial expressions. Contrary to facial expressions, however, for vocalization, there is little evidence available on the association with pain. The aim of this systematic review was to critically analyse the association between vocalization and pain, to explore if vocalizations can be used as a "stand-alone" indicator for pain.

methodsThe search was performed according to the Prisma Guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The following terms were used: "Pain Measurement," "Vocalization" and "Verbalization." The study population included verbal and non-verbal individuals, including older people and children. The search was performed in three different databases: PubMed, Embase and CINAHL. A total of 35 studies were selected for detailed investigation. Quality assessments were made using two grading systems: Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation system and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

resultsAn association between vocalization and pain was found in most studies, particularly when different types of vocalizations were included in the investigation. Different types of vocalization, but also different types of pain, shape this association. The association is observed within all groups of individuals, although age, amongst others, may have an influence on preferred type of vocalization.

conclusionsThere is an association between vocalization and pain. However, vocalization as a "stand-alone" indicator for pain indicates only a limited aspect of this multifactorial phenomenon. Using vocalization as an indicator for pain may be more reliable if other pain indicators are also taken into account. SIGNIFICANCE: Vocalizations are frequently used in pain scales, although not yet thoroughly investigated as a "single indicator" for pain, like, e.g. facial expression. This review confirms the role of vocalizations in pain scales, and stresses that vocalizations might be more reliable if used in combination with other pain indicators.

Indexed as

CryingPainAgedAged, 80 and overChildHumansPain Measurement

Identifiers

PMID32573041
PMCPMC7587015
OpenAlexW3036350176

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.