title: Pain and Cognitive Functioning in Adults with Down Syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to examine whether cognitive functioning (i.e., memory and executive functioning) is related to self-reported presence of pain (i.e., affirmative answer to the question whether the individual feels pain) and experience of pain (i.e., intensity and affect) in adults with Down syndrome (DS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of 224 adults with DS (mean age = 38.1 years, mild-severe intellectual disabilities) in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  File-based medical information was evaluated. Self-reported presence and experience of pain were assessed during a test session, both in rest and after movement (affect with the facial affective scale [FAS], intensity with the numeric rating scale [NRS]). Neuropsychological tests for memory and executive functioning were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with lower memory scores were more likely to report the presence of pain, while controlling for age, gender, physical conditions that may cause pain, language comprehension, and vocabulary ( p  = .030, 58.4% classification rate, N  = 154). No statistically significant associations were found between executive functioning and self-reported presence of pain or between cognitive functioning and self-reported pain experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Memory seems to be related to the self-reported presence of pain in adults with DS after explicit inquiry, although the clinical use of this model is yet limited. Therefore, further research is needed for insight into the role of cognitive processes in self-report (e.g., involving aspects such as acquiescence and repeated measurements) to evaluate whether neuropsychological examination could contribute to pain assessment in DS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nanda C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: de Knegt
authors.affiliation: MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam.|Department of Oral Kinesiology, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lobbezoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies.|EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schuengel
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Heleen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Evenhuis
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik J A
authors.initials: EJA
authors.lastname: Scherder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clinical Significance; Cognitive Function; Pain Assessment;  Down Syndrome