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Relationship between facial expression and self report of acute dental pain
s134 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FACIAL EXPRESSION AND SELF REPORT OF ENTAL PAIN. L. LFesche!, S.F. Dworkidy2, and A.C.N. ;:::F,?, Departments of Oral Medicine, "PsychiatryandBehav ioral Sciences, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
196 Video Sun 3:30 5th Ave Rm 1'_1__::
Particular discrete facial expressions are recognized as expressionc of specific emotions in all human cultures. This study sought to validatepreviously identified facial expressions of pain by determining their relation to traditional self report pain measures in clinical acute pain patients. Fourteen dental patients with acute pathologic pain completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), visual analog (VA) scales of pain aversiveness and intensity, state and trait anxiety scales, a dental fears scale, and were videotaped as part of our routine experimental protocol. Videotapes were coded for the movement of individual facial muscles by two coders using the anatomically based, comprehensive and highly reliable Facial Action Coding System. Individual muscle movements occurring simultaneously were grouped into"clusters"or facial expressions on the basis of a computer algorithm. Expressions previously reported to be facial expressions of pain were These behaviors occurred at a rate of about shown by 8 of the 14 subjects. Subjects who showed these Z/min. andlasted an average of 0.75 (+0.7l)sec. expressions reported higher pain intensity (mean of 46.9,x.29.7 for those as well as higher MPQ sensory (15.2 vs.Y.31 who showed no pain expressions), Clinicians' VA affective (3.1 F. l.O)and total scores (26.5 vs.14.7). ratings of the patients' pain were also higher for the group showing facial State expressions of pain than for those who showed none (40.5~~. 24.8). and trait anxiety and dental fears did not differ in the two groups. The previously identified facial expressions are valid indicators of pain They are specific to pain, rather than under the conditions described. anxiety, may be recognized by clinicians and hold promise as measures of pain. (Supported by NIH (NIDR) Grant No. DE06219.1
196 Video Sun 3:30 5th Ave Rm 1'_1__::
Particular discrete facial expressions are recognized as expressionc of specific emotions in all human cultures. This study sought to validatepreviously identified facial expressions of pain by determining their relation to traditional self report pain measures in clinical acute pain patients. Fourteen dental patients with acute pathologic pain completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), visual analog (VA) scales of pain aversiveness and intensity, state and trait anxiety scales, a dental fears scale, and were videotaped as part of our routine experimental protocol. Videotapes were coded for the movement of individual facial muscles by two coders using the anatomically based, comprehensive and highly reliable Facial Action Coding System. Individual muscle movements occurring simultaneously were grouped into"clusters"or facial expressions on the basis of a computer algorithm. Expressions previously reported to be facial expressions of pain were These behaviors occurred at a rate of about shown by 8 of the 14 subjects. Subjects who showed these Z/min. andlasted an average of 0.75 (+0.7l)sec. expressions reported higher pain intensity (mean of 46.9,x.29.7 for those as well as higher MPQ sensory (15.2 vs.Y.31 who showed no pain expressions), Clinicians' VA affective (3.1 F. l.O)and total scores (26.5 vs.14.7). ratings of the patients' pain were also higher for the group showing facial State expressions of pain than for those who showed none (40.5~~. 24.8). and trait anxiety and dental fears did not differ in the two groups. The previously identified facial expressions are valid indicators of pain They are specific to pain, rather than under the conditions described. anxiety, may be recognized by clinicians and hold promise as measures of pain. (Supported by NIH (NIDR) Grant No. DE06219.1