Detailed behavioral assessment promotes accurate diagnosis in patients with disorders of consciousness.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Assessing the awareness level in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) is made on the basis of exhibited behaviors. However, since motor signs of awareness (i.e., non-reflex motor responses) can be very subtle, differentiating the vegetative from minimally conscious states (which is in itself not clear-cut) is often challenging. Even the careful clinician relying on standardized scales may arrive at a wrong diagnosis.

Aim

To report our experience in tackling this problem by using two in-house use assessment procedures developed at Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital, and demonstrate their clinical significance by reviewing two cases.

Methods

(1) Reuth DOC Response Assessment (RDOC-RA) -administered in addition to the standardized tools, and emphasizes

SUBMITTER: Gilutz Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4349183 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature