Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34827454›Full record

ArticleBrain sciences2021

Observing Pain in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Comparison Attempt across Countries and across Different Types of Cognitive Impairment.

Miriam Kunz, Petra Crutzen-Braaksma, Lydia Giménez-Llort, Sara Invitto, Gaya Villani, Marina deTommaso, Laura Petrini, Lene Vase, Susan Tomczak Matthiesen, Hanne Gottrup and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 22% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Facial Expressions as a Nexus for Health Assessment.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
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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

13 authors at 10 institutions in 6 countries.

Miriam KunzDepartment of Psychology and Sociology, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Universitystreet 2, 86135 Augsburg, Germany.
Petra Crutzen-BraaksmaDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, 9713 Groningen, The Netherlands.
Lydia Giménez-LlortDepartment of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-4091-489X
Sara InvittoINSPIRE Lab, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, LE, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0841-7770
Gaya VillaniINSPIRE Lab, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, LE, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5475-0243
Marina deTommasoApplied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, Bari Aldo Moro University, 70121 Bari, BA, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6567-5373
Laura PetriniCenter for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark.
Lene VaseDivision for Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, 8210 Aarhus, Denmark.
Susan Tomczak MatthiesenDivision for Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, 8210 Aarhus, Denmark.
Hanne GottrupDepartment of Neurology, Demential Clinic, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark.
Jone Ansuategui EcheitaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 Groningen, The Netherlands.
Stefan LautenbacherDepartment of Physiological Psychology, University of Bamberg, 96047 Bamberg, Germany.
Ruth DefrinDepartment of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
Aarhus University · DKUniversity Medical Center Groningen · NLUniversity of Salento · ITAalborg University · DKAarhus University Hospital · DKTel Aviv University · ILUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona · ESUniversity of Augsburg · DEUniversity of Bamberg · DEUniversity of Bari Aldo Moro · IT

Funding

European Commission COST TD1005
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Facial expression is a key aspect in observational scales developed to improve pain assessment in individuals with cognitive impairments. Although these scales are used internationally in individuals with different types of cognitive impairments, it is not known whether observing facial expressions of pain might differ between regions or between different types of cognitive impairments. In a pilot study, facial responses to standardized experimental pressure pain were assessed among individuals with different types of cognitive impairments (dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Huntington's disease, and intellectual disability) from different countries (Denmark, Germany, Italy, Israel, and Spain) and were analyzed using facial descriptors from the PAIC scale (Pain Assessment in Impaired Cognition). We found high inter-rater reliability between observers from different countries. Moreover, facial responses to pain did not differ between individuals with dementia from different countries (Denmark, Germany, and Spain). However, the type of cognitive impairment had a significant impact; with individuals with intellectual disability (all being from Israel) showing the strongest facial responses. Our pilot data suggest that the country of origin does not strongly affect how pain is facially expressed or how facial responses are being scored. However, the type of cognitive impairment showed a clear effect in our pilot study, with elevated facial responses in individuals with intellectual disability.

Indexed as

cognitive impairmentcultural differencesdementiafacial expressionintellectual disabilitymild cognitive impairmentPAICpainpain observation

Identifiers

PMID34827454
PMCPMC8615509
OpenAlexW3208187779

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.