Longitudinal assessments highlight long-term behavioural recovery in disorders of consciousness.

ABSTRACT: Accurate diagnosis and prognosis of disorders of consciousness is complicated by the variability amongst patients' trajectories. However, the majority of research and scientific knowledge in this field is based on cross-sectional studies. The translational gap in applying this knowledge to inform clinical management can only be bridged by research that systematically examines follow-up. In this study, we present findings from a novel longitudinal study of the long-term recovery trajectory of 39 patients, repeatedly assessed using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised once every 3 months for 2 years, generating 185 assessments. Despite the expected inter-patient variability, there was a statistically significant improvement in behaviour over time. Further, improvements began approximately 22 mont

SUBMITTER: Bareham CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6924536 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature