SynthesisBMC geriatrics2025
Association between pain and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in older adults with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Systematic review of prevalence of pain among people with dementia living in the community.BMC neurology · 2026Pooled it
- Long-Term Cognitive and Functional Outcomes of Anesthesia and Surgery in Patients with Dementia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms in community-dwelling people living with dementia: a cross-sectional dyadic study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Clinical outcomes associated with Korean medicine home-visit care for patients with cognitive impairment: a multi-center retrospective observational study.Scientific reports · 2026Observational
- Pain in Alzheimer's Disease: Disrupted Multilevel Integration of Nociception, Affective Processing and Clinical Expression Across Clinical and Preclinical Evidence.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Uncovering sex patterns in BPSD among home-care patients: longitudinal findings from a population-based registry - digital dementia registry Bavaria.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Review
- Article
- Reducing Barriers for Best Practice in People Living with Dementia: Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Content Validity of the Brazilian Version of the Pain Assessment in Impaired Cognition (PAIC-15) Meta-Tool.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBehavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) are core and highly detrimental symptoms of dementia. Previous research has suggested a potential association between pain and BPSD, but pieces of evidence are lacking.
objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association between pain and BPSD in patients with dementia.
methodsSeven databases were searched from inception to February 2024, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WanFang Data. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were included. We included studies that involved older adults with dementia and assessed the pain and BPSD by using validated tools. The quality of cohort studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and the quality of cross-sectional studies was evaluated using AHRQ criteria. Two researchers independently screened the articles, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of the studies. A meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 15.0. Data not suitable for meta-analysis was analyzed through a qualitative synthesis to provide a comprehensive overview of the findings.
resultsA total of 12 studies were included, comprising nine cross-sectional studies and three longitudinal studies. All studies were of medium to high quality. Studies reported that pain was associated with 13 different types of BPSD, including agitation, aggression, abnormal thought process, anxiety, care refusal, delirium, depression, delusions, hallucinations, sexual disinhibition, sleep disturbances, socially inappropriate behavior, and wandering. A pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.25 (95%CI [1.17,1.33], p < 0.001) indicated a significant positive association between pain and BPSD. Specifically, pain was positively associated with aggression (OR = 1.07, 95%CI [1.00,1.13], p = 0.035), agitation (OR = 1.17, 95%CI [1.14, 1.21], p < 0.001), and depression (OR = 2.11, 95%CI [1.76,2.52], p < 0.001). However, pain was significantly negatively associated with wandering (OR = 0.77, 95%CI [0.73, 0.81], p < 0.001).
conclusionsPain was significantly positively associated with BPSD in patients with dementia, specifically with aggression, depression, and agitation. However, pain was negatively associated with wandering. This emphasizes the importance of further research in this area and improved interventions for pain and BPSD management.
trial registrationwww.crd.york.ac.uk CRD42023432320, registered 08/08/2024.
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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.