Facial pain expression

Abstract

SUMMARY People in pain communicate their experience via facial expressions. There has been considerable research into the properties of pain expressions. This article reviews basic findings on the encoding and decoding of pain expression. The facial expression of pain is characterized and recent findings on its assessment and psychometric properties are described. Studies on decoding of pain expression are also reviewed, focusing on observers’ sensitivity to and bias in evaluation of pain expression. Priority areas for future research are identified.