Multiple tasks and neuroimaging modalities increase the likelihood of detecting covert awareness in patients with disorders of consciousness.

ABSTRACT: Minimal or inconsistent behavioral responses to command make it challenging to accurately diagnose the level of awareness of a patient with a Disorder of consciousness (DOC). By identifying markers of mental imagery being covertly performed to command, functional neuroimaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG) has shown that some of these patients are aware despite their lack of behavioral responsiveness. We report the findings of behavioral, fMRI, and EEG approaches to detecting command-following in a group of patients with DOC. From an initial sample of 14 patients, complete data across all tasks was obtained in six cases. Behavioral evaluations were performed with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. Both fMRI and EEG evaluations involved the completion of previously validated mental imag

SUBMITTER: Gibson RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4244609 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature