This study examined whether pupillary light reflex (PLR), measured with an automated pupillometer, predicts procedural pain in critically ill sedated traumatic brain injury patients. Pre-procedure PLR measurements were robust predictors of Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool scores during subsequent patient turning. Findings suggest that PLR may serve as an objective physiologic marker to anticipate pain behaviors and guide pre-procedural analgesia adjustments, supporting neuroscience nurses in optimizing pain management for non-communicative ICU patients.
