Impaired consciousness is linked to changes in effective connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex within the default mode network.

ABSTRACT: The intrinsic connectivity of the default mode network has been associated with the level of consciousness in patients with severe brain injury. Especially medial parietal regions are considered to be highly involved in impaired consciousness. To better understand what aspect of this intrinsic architecture is linked to consciousness, we applied spectral dynamic causal modeling to assess effective connectivity within the default mode network in patients with disorders of consciousness. We included 12 controls, 12 patients in minimally conscious state and 13 in vegetative state in this study. For each subject, we first defined the four key regions of the default mode network employing a subject-specific independent component analysis approach. The resulting regions were then included as node

SUBMITTER: Crone JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4389831 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature