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Tinti L, Lawson T, Molteni E, Kondziella D, Rass V, Sharshar T, Bodien YG, Giacino JT, Mayer SA, Amiri M, Muehlschlegel S, Venkatasubba Rao CP, Vespa PM, Menon DK, Citerio G, Helbok R, McNett M. Research considerations for prospective studies of patients with coma and disorders of consciousness. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae022. [PMID: 38344653 PMCID: PMC10853976 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Disorders of consciousness are neurological conditions characterized by impaired arousal and awareness of self and environment. Behavioural responses are absent or are present but fluctuate. Disorders of consciousness are commonly encountered as a consequence of both acute and chronic brain injuries, yet reliable epidemiological estimates would require inclusive, operational definitions of the concept, as well as wider knowledge dissemination among involved professionals. Whereas several manifestations have been described, including coma, vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and minimally conscious state, a comprehensive neurobiological definition for disorders of consciousness is still lacking. The scientific literature is primarily observational, and studies-specific aetiologies lead to disorders of consciousness. Despite advances in these disease-related forms, there remains uncertainty about whether disorders of consciousness are a disease-agnostic unitary entity with a common mechanism, prognosis or treatment response paradigm. Our knowledge of disorders of consciousness has also been hampered by heterogeneity of study designs, variables, and outcomes, leading to results that are not comparable for evidence synthesis. The different backgrounds of professionals caring for patients with disorders of consciousness and the different goals at different stages of care could partly explain this variability. The Prospective Studies working group of the Neurocritical Care Society Curing Coma Campaign was established to create a platform for observational studies and future clinical trials on disorders of consciousness and coma across the continuum of care. In this narrative review, the author panel presents limitations of prior observational clinical research and outlines practical considerations for future investigations. A narrative review format was selected to ensure that the full breadth of study design considerations could be addressed and to facilitate a future consensus-based statement (e.g. via a modified Delphi) and series of recommendations. The panel convened weekly online meetings from October 2021 to December 2022. Research considerations addressed the nosographic status of disorders of consciousness, case ascertainment and verification, selection of dependent variables, choice of covariates and measurement and analysis of outcomes and covariates, aiming to promote more homogeneous designs and practices in future observational studies. The goal of this review is to inform a broad community of professionals with different backgrounds and clinical interests to address the methodological challenges imposed by the transition of care from acute to chronic stages and to streamline data gathering for patients with disorders of consciousness. A coordinated effort will be a key to allow reliable observational data synthesis and epidemiological estimates and ultimately inform condition-modifying clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Tinti
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan 20156, Italy
| | - Thomas Lawson
- Critical Care, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Erika Molteni
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 7EU, UK
| | - Daniel Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Verena Rass
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-Intensive Care Unit, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Tarek Sharshar
- Neuro-Intensive Care Medicine, Anaesthesiology and ICU Department, GHU-Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Pole Neuro, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris, INSERM U1266, Université Paris Cité, Paris 75006, France
| | - Yelena G Bodien
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Joseph T Giacino
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Stephan A Mayer
- Department of Neurology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Moshgan Amiri
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Susanne Muehlschlegel
- Department of Neurology and Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chethan P Venkatasubba Rao
- Division of Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care, Baylor College of Medicine and CHI Baylor St Luke’s Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Paul M Vespa
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - David K Menon
- Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Giuseppe Citerio
- NeuroIntensive Care, IRCSS Fondazione San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza 20900, Italy
- School of Medicine and Surgery, Università Milano Bicocca, Milan 20854, Italy
| | - Raimund Helbok
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-Intensive Care Unit, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
- Department of Neurology, Johannes Kepler University, Linz 4040, Austria
| | - Molly McNett
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Drążyk D, Przewrocki K, Górska-Klimowska U, Binder M. Distinct Spectral Profiles of Awake Resting EEG in Disorders of Consciousness: The Role of Frequency and Topography of Oscillations. Brain Topogr 2024; 37:138-151. [PMID: 38158511 PMCID: PMC10771586 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-01024-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) pose a challenge for an accurate clinical diagnosis, mainly due to patients' scarce or ambiguous behavioral responsiveness. Measurement of brain activity can support better diagnosis, independent of motor restrictions. Methods based on spectral analysis of resting-state EEG appear as a promising path, revealing specific changes within the internal brain dynamics in PDOC patients. In this study we used a robust method of resting-state EEG power spectrum parameter extraction to identify distinct spectral properties for different types of PDOC. Sixty patients and 37 healthy volunteers participated in this study. Patient group consisted of 22 unresponsive wakefulness patients, 25 minimally conscious patients and 13 patients emerging from the minimally conscious state. Ten minutes of resting EEG was acquired during wakefulness and transformed into individual power spectra. For each patient, using the spectral decomposition algorithm, we extracted maximum peak frequency within 1-14 Hz range in the centro-parietal region, and the antero-posterior (AP) gradient of the maximal frequency peak. All patients were behaviorally diagnosed using coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R). The maximal peak frequency in the 1-14 Hz range successfully predicted both neurobehavioral capacity of patients as indicated by CRS-R total score and PDOC diagnosis. Additionally, in patients in whom only one peak within the 1-14 Hz range was observed, the AP gradient significantly contributed to the accuracy of prediction. We have identified three distinct spectral profiles of patients, likely representing separate neurophysiological modes of thalamocortical functioning. Etiology did not have significant influence on the obtained results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Drążyk
- Institute of Neurosciences, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karol Przewrocki
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Marek Binder
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ul. Ingardena 6, 30-060, Krakow, Poland.
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Xu G, Hao F, Zhao W, Zhao P, Qiu J. Long-term psychological intervention for parents of children with prolonged disorders of consciousness: a pilot study. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1212014. [PMID: 38098536 PMCID: PMC10720583 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1212014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Children with prolonged disorders of consciousness experience severe intellectual and behavioral disabilities that will last for decades or even a lifetime. Parents generally experience severe anxiety, stress, sadness, or family conflicts, which can lead to abnormal parenting behavior and can, in turn, adversely affect the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral well-being of the children. This causes a serious burden on children, families, and society. Psychological interventions targeting parents using online conversations provide an opportunity to improve the overall well-being of the parents, their children, and the family as a whole. Methods A total of 13 patients completed the protocol. Six were girls (46.2%), the mean age was 4.5 ± 3.0 years, and the length of time before emergent from minimally consciousness state was 244 ± 235 days. A staff member with psychological counseling qualifications implemented all psychological interventions. Regular online psychological interventions were performed annually before and after discharge. Evaluation data were collected before discharge and at 1 and 3-5 years post-discharge. Results With the extension of intervention time, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale scores showed significant improvement (p < 0.05), while the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy scores did not. With the extension of intervention time, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Total Difficulties scores, TD) scores showed significant improvement (p < 0.05), while the scores did not after 1 year compared with before intervention. The Index of Child Care Environment evaluation scores declined significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion Psychological interventions aimed at the parents of children with prolonged disorders of consciousness performed at least once per year resulted in significant improvements in negative parental emotions, parental self-efficacy, and emotional and behavioral problems in their children. However, the childcare environment continued to decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Xu
- Rehabilitation Branch, Tianjin Children’s Hospital/Children’s Hospital, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Prevention and Treatment, Tianjin Children’s Hospital/Children’s Hospital, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | | | - Weiwei Zhao
- Tianjin Beichen Experimental Middle School, Tianjin, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Rehabilitation Branch, Tianjin Children’s Hospital/Children’s Hospital, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Prevention and Treatment, Tianjin Children’s Hospital/Children’s Hospital, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiwen Qiu
- Research Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- School of Medical Technology, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
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Overbeek BUH, van Erp WS, Eilander HJ, Koopmans RTCM, Lavrijsen JCM. Prevalence of the Minimally Conscious State Among Institutionalized Patients in the Netherlands: A Nationwide Study. Neurology 2023; 101:e2005-e2013. [PMID: 37857492 PMCID: PMC10662977 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The minimally conscious state (MCS) is a prolonged disorder of consciousness (pDoC) and one of the most severe outcomes of acquired brain injury. Prevalence data are scarce. The aim of this study was to establish the nationwide point prevalence of institutionalized patients in MCS in the Netherlands. METHODS This was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which all 86 Dutch hospitals, all 5 specialized pDoC rehabilitation facilities, and all 274 nursing homes were asked whether they were treating patients with a pDoC on the point prevalence date of September 15, 2021. Each patient's legal representative provided informed consent for their inclusion. Patient level of consciousness was verified using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) in a single assessment session performed in the facility of residence by an experienced physician. Data on patient demographics, etiology, level of consciousness, facility of residence, and clinical status were collected from a questionnaire by the treating physician. The prevalence of institutionalized patients in MCS of per 100,000 members of the Dutch population was calculated, based on actual census data. RESULTS Seventy patients were reported to have a pDoC, of whom 6 were excluded. The level of consciousness was verified for 49 patients while for 15, it could not be verified. Of the patients verified, 38 had a pDoC, of whom 32 were in MCS (mean age 44.8 years, 68.8% male). The prevalence of institutionalized patients in MCS is 0.2-0.3 per 100,000 Dutch inhabitants. Traumatic brain injury was present in 21 of 32 patients (65.6%). Specialized pDoC rehabilitation was received by 17 of 32 patients (53%), with the rest admitted to nursing homes. The most frequent signs of consciousness on the CRS-R were visual pursuit, reproducible movement to command, and automatic motor response. DISCUSSION This nationwide study revealed a low prevalence of institutionalized patients in MCS in the Netherlands. These findings are now being used to organize pDoC care in this country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berno U H Overbeek
- From the Department of Primary and Community Care (B.U.H.O., W.S.v.E., H.J.E., R.T.C.M.K., J.C.M.L.), Radboud University Medical Center, Research Institute of Medical Innovation; Kalorama (B.U.H.O.), Beek-Ubbergen; Azora (B.U.H.O.), Terborg; Accolade Zorg (W.S.v.E.), Bosch en Duin; Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology (W.S.v.E.), Tilburg; and Joachim and Anna, Center for Specialized Geriatric Care (R.T.C.M.K.), Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Willemijn S van Erp
- From the Department of Primary and Community Care (B.U.H.O., W.S.v.E., H.J.E., R.T.C.M.K., J.C.M.L.), Radboud University Medical Center, Research Institute of Medical Innovation; Kalorama (B.U.H.O.), Beek-Ubbergen; Azora (B.U.H.O.), Terborg; Accolade Zorg (W.S.v.E.), Bosch en Duin; Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology (W.S.v.E.), Tilburg; and Joachim and Anna, Center for Specialized Geriatric Care (R.T.C.M.K.), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Henk J Eilander
- From the Department of Primary and Community Care (B.U.H.O., W.S.v.E., H.J.E., R.T.C.M.K., J.C.M.L.), Radboud University Medical Center, Research Institute of Medical Innovation; Kalorama (B.U.H.O.), Beek-Ubbergen; Azora (B.U.H.O.), Terborg; Accolade Zorg (W.S.v.E.), Bosch en Duin; Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology (W.S.v.E.), Tilburg; and Joachim and Anna, Center for Specialized Geriatric Care (R.T.C.M.K.), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Raymond T C M Koopmans
- From the Department of Primary and Community Care (B.U.H.O., W.S.v.E., H.J.E., R.T.C.M.K., J.C.M.L.), Radboud University Medical Center, Research Institute of Medical Innovation; Kalorama (B.U.H.O.), Beek-Ubbergen; Azora (B.U.H.O.), Terborg; Accolade Zorg (W.S.v.E.), Bosch en Duin; Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology (W.S.v.E.), Tilburg; and Joachim and Anna, Center for Specialized Geriatric Care (R.T.C.M.K.), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan C M Lavrijsen
- From the Department of Primary and Community Care (B.U.H.O., W.S.v.E., H.J.E., R.T.C.M.K., J.C.M.L.), Radboud University Medical Center, Research Institute of Medical Innovation; Kalorama (B.U.H.O.), Beek-Ubbergen; Azora (B.U.H.O.), Terborg; Accolade Zorg (W.S.v.E.), Bosch en Duin; Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology (W.S.v.E.), Tilburg; and Joachim and Anna, Center for Specialized Geriatric Care (R.T.C.M.K.), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Chudy D, Deletis V, Paradžik V, Dubroja I, Marčinković P, Orešković D, Chudy H, Raguž M. Deep brain stimulation in disorders of consciousness: 10 years of a single center experience. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19491. [PMID: 37945710 PMCID: PMC10636144 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46300-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Disorders of consciousness (DoC), namely unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), represent severe conditions with significant consequences for patients and their families. Several studies have reported the regaining of consciousness in such patients using deep brain stimulation (DBS) of subcortical structures or brainstem nuclei. Our study aims to present the 10 years' experience of a single center using DBS as a therapy on a cohort of patients with DoC. Eighty Three consecutive patients were evaluated between 2011 and 2022; entry criteria consisted of neurophysiological and neurological evaluations and neuroimaging examinations. Out of 83, 36 patients were considered candidates for DBS implantation, and 32 patients were implanted: 27 patients had UWS, and five had MCS. The stimulation target was the centromedian-parafascicular complex in the left hemisphere in hypoxic brain lesion or the one better preserved in patients with traumatic brain injury. The level of consciousness was improved in seven patients. Three out of five MCS patients emerged to full awareness, with the ability to interact and communicate. Two of them can live largely independently. Four out of 27 UWS patients showed consciousness improvement with two patients emerging to full awareness, and the other two reaching MCS. In patients with DoC lasting longer than 12 months following traumatic brain injury or 6 months following anoxic-ischemic brain lesion, spontaneous recovery is rare. Thus, DBS of certain thalamic nuclei could be recommended as a treatment option for patients who meet neurological, neurophysiological and neuroimaging criteria, especially in earlier phases, before occurrence of irreversible musculoskeletal changes. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of cooperation between centers worldwide in studies on the potentials of DBS in treating patients with DoC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darko Chudy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia.
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Vedran Deletis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Veronika Paradžik
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Dubroja
- Brain Trauma Unit, Specialty Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation, Krapinske Toplice, Croatia
| | - Petar Marčinković
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Darko Orešković
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Hana Chudy
- Department of Neurology, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marina Raguž
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
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Carlson JM, Lin DJ. Prognostication in Prolonged and Chronic Disorders of Consciousness. Semin Neurol 2023; 43:744-757. [PMID: 37758177 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1775792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOCs) longer than 28 days may continue to make significant gains and achieve functional recovery. Occasionally, this recovery trajectory may extend past 3 (for nontraumatic etiologies) and 12 months (for traumatic etiologies) into the chronic period. Prognosis is influenced by several factors including state of DOC, etiology, and demographics. There are several testing modalities that may aid prognostication under active investigation including electroencephalography, functional and anatomic magnetic resonance imaging, and event-related potentials. At this time, only one treatment (amantadine) has been routinely recommended to improve functional recovery in prolonged DOC. Given that some patients with prolonged or chronic DOC have the potential to recover both consciousness and functional status, it is important for neurologists experienced in prognostication to remain involved in their care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Carlson
- Division of Neurocritical Care, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina Hospital, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - David J Lin
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Division of Neurocritical Care and Stroke Service, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Providence, Rhode Island
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Bender A, Eifert B, Rubi-Fessen I, Jox RJ, Maurer-Karattup P, Müller F. The Neurological Rehabilitation of Adults With Coma and Disorders of Consciousness. DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 120:605-612. [PMID: 37434290 PMCID: PMC10568738 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe quantitative disorders of consciousness (DoC) due to acute brain injury affect up to 47% of patients upon admission to intensive care and early rehabilitation units. Nevertheless, the rehabilitation of this vulnerable group of patients has not yet been addressed in any German-language guidelines and has only been studied in a small number of randomized clinical trials. METHODS In an S3 clinical practice guideline project, a systematic literature search was carried out for interventions that could improve consciousness in patients with coma, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, or minimally conscious state after acute brain injury, and an evidence-based evaluation of these interventions was performed. Recommendations concerning diagnostic methods and medical ethics were issued by consensus. RESULTS Misdiagnoses are common in patients with DoC, with minimal consciousness often going unrecognized. Patients with DoC should, therefore, be repeatedly assessed with standardized instruments, particularly the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. The literature search yielded 54 clinical trials, mostly of low quality; there were two randomized controlled clinical trials providing level 1 evidence. The best available evidence for the improvement of impaired consciousness is for the administration of amantadine (4 studies) and for anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients in the minimal conscious state (8 studies, 2 systematic reviews). Further important components of rehabilitation include positioning methods and sensory stimulation techniques such as music therapy. CONCLUSION For the first time, evidence-based German-language clinical practice guidelines have now become available for the neurological rehabilitation of patients with DoC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Bender
- Therapiezentrum Burgau and Department of Neurology, LMU Klinikum, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Ilona Rubi-Fessen
- Rehanova Neurorehabilitation Center, Cologne, Germany and Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ralf J. Jox
- Institut des humanités en médecine, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Switzerland
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Kuyler A, Johnson E, Bornman J. Multimodal communication reported by familiar caregivers to build communication capacity in persons who are minimally conscious. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2023; 25:523-539. [PMID: 35838322 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2022.2096926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Limited clinical and research evidence is available to support healthcare practitioners in the communication assessment and intervention of persons who are minimally conscious. This study placed a specific focus on the multimodal communication strategies familiar caregivers of persons who are minimally conscious observed, as well as the verbal and the nonverbal communication strategies they employed to build communication capacity. This may inform clinical practice as it provides valuable autobiographical information as well as familiar stimuli that may elicit responses from persons in a minimally conscious state. METHOD A descriptive qualitative design employing in-depth semi-structured interviews with familiar caregivers was utilised to address the purpose of the study. RESULT Familiar caregivers reported that they used both nonverbal and verbal communication strategies to obtain a response from persons who are minimally conscious. These caregivers also reported that these persons appeared to rely on nonverbal communication strategies to express 36 different communication functions. CONCLUSION Based on the findings of this study, it is clear that caregivers can be beneficial to persons who are minimally conscious, if they are able to observe and capitalise on naturally occurring multimodal communication strategies and functions. This study emphasises that familiar caregivers respect and value the dignity of persons who are minimally conscious and want to improve their communication capacity, but often lack confidence in their own communication skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariné Kuyler
- Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Ensa Johnson
- Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Juan Bornman
- Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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Wang F, Wan Y, Li Z, Qi F, Li J. A cross-subject decoding algorithm for patients with disorder of consciousness based on P300 brain computer interface. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1167125. [PMID: 37547152 PMCID: PMC10398338 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1167125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Brain computer interface (BCI) technology may provide a new way of communication for some patients with disorder of consciousness (DOC), which can directly connect the brain and external devices. However, the DOC patients' EEG differ significantly from that of the normal person and are difficult to collected, the decoding algorithm currently only is trained based on a small amount of the patient's own data and performs poorly. Methods In this study, a decoding algorithm called WD-ADSTCN based on domain adaptation is proposed to improve the DOC patients' P300 signal detection. We used the Wasserstein distance to filter the normal population data to increase the training data. Furthermore, an adversarial approach is adopted to resolve the differences between the normal and patient data. Results The results showed that in the cross-subject P300 detection of DOC patients, 7 of 11 patients achieved an average accuracy of over 70%. Furthermore, their clinical diagnosis changed and CRS-R scores improved three months after the experiment. Conclusion These results demonstrated that the proposed method could be employed in the P300 BCI system for the DOC patients, which has important implications for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wang
- School of Software, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yinxing Wan
- School of Software, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuorong Li
- School of Software, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feifei Qi
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, China
- School of Internet Finance and Information Engineering, Guangdong University of Finance, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingcong Li
- School of Software, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, China
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Sanz LR, Laureys S, Gosseries O. Towards modern post-coma care based on neuroscientific evidence. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100370. [PMID: 36817874 PMCID: PMC9932483 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the mechanisms underlying human consciousness is pivotal to improve the prognostication and treatment of severely brain-injured patients. Consciousness remains an elusive concept and the identification of its neural correlates is an active subject of research, however recent neuroscientific advances have allowed scientists to better characterize disorders of consciousness. These breakthroughs question the historical nomenclature and our current management of post-comatose patients. Method This review examines the contribution of consciousness neurosciences to the current clinical management of severe brain injury. It investigates the major impact of consciousness disorders on healthcare systems, the scientific frameworks employed to identify their neural correlates and how evidence-based data from neuroimaging research have reshaped the landscape of post-coma care in recent years. Results Our increased ability to detect behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of consciousness has led to significant changes in taxonomy and clinical practice. We advocate for a multimodal framework for the management of severely brain-injured patients based on precision medicine and evidence-based decisions, integrating epidemiology, health economics and neuroethics. Conclusions Major progress in brain imaging and clinical assessment have opened the door to a new era of post-coma care based on standardized neuroscientific evidence. We highlight its implications in clinical applications and call for improved collaborations between researchers and clinicians to better translate findings to the bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro R.D. Sanz
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Joint International Research Unit on Consciousness, CERVO Brain Research Centre, CIUSS, Laval University, Québec, Canada
| | - Olivia Gosseries
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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11
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Xiong Q, Le K, Wang Y, Tang Y, Dong X, Zhong Y, Zhou Y, Feng Z. A prediction model of clinical outcomes in prolonged disorders of consciousness: A prospective cohort study. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:1076259. [PMID: 36817098 PMCID: PMC9936154 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1076259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to establish and validate a prediction model for clinical outcomes in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDOC). Methods A total of 170 patients with pDOC enrolled in our rehabilitation unit were included and divided into training (n = 119) and validation sets (n = 51). Independent predictors for improved clinical outcomes were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and a nomogram model was established. The nomogram performance was quantified using receiver operating curve (ROC) and calibration curves in the training and validated sets. A decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of this nomogram model. Results Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that age, diagnosis at entry, serum albumin (g/L), and pupillary reflex were the independent prognostic factors that were used to construct the nomogram. The area under the curve in the training and validation sets was 0.845 and 0.801, respectively. This nomogram model showed good calibration with good consistency between the actual and predicted probabilities of improved outcomes. The DCA demonstrated a higher net benefit in clinical decision-making compared to treating all or none. Conclusion Several feasible, cost-effective prognostic variables that are widely available in hospitals can provide an efficient and accurate prediction model for improved clinical outcomes and support clinicians to offer suitable clinical care and decision-making to patients with pDOC and their family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Xiong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Kai Le
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yunliang Tang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xiaoyang Dong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuan Zhong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yao Zhou
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhen Feng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China,*Correspondence: Zhen Feng ✉
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12
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Zhou YF, Kang JW, Xiong Q, Feng Z, Dong XY. Transauricular vagus nerve stimulation for patients with disorders of consciousness: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1133893. [PMID: 36937511 PMCID: PMC10017768 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1133893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Disorders of consciousness (DoCs) are a frequent complication of brain injury disease, and effective treatments are currently lacking. Transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has been proposed as a promising therapeutic method for neurological disorders such as epilepsy and depression. In our previous study, we demonstrated that vagus nerve stimulation promoted recovery in rats with DoCs caused by traumatic brain injury. However, the clinical effect of vagus nerve stimulation on consciousness disorders is unclear. We aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of tVNS in patients with DoCs. Methods We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial. Patients (N = 60) with DoCs, including minimally conscious state (MCS) and vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, were enrolled and randomized to groups receiving either active or sham tVNS. A frequency of 20 Hz and pulse wave of 200 us was used in the active-tVNS protocol, which was performed in the auricular branch of the vagus nerve in the left outer ear. The sham-tVNS protocol was the same as the active-tVNS protocol although without current input. Both groups of patients also received conventional treatments. Consciousness was evaluated according to the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised before and after the 4-week intervention. We also recorded the type and number of behavioral responses. Safety was primarily assessed according to the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events. Each patient's heart rate and blood pressure were monitored during all treatment sessions. Results Ultimately, 57 patients completed the study: 28 patients underwent active tVNS and 29 patients underwent sham tVNS. No significant differences were observed in Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores between the active- and sham-tVNS groups before the tVNS sessions. Compared with patients in the sham-tVNS group (9.28 ± 4.38), patients with DoCs treated with active tVNS showed improved consciousness (10.93 ± 4.99), although not statistically significant. Further analysis revealed obvious differences between patients with MCS receiving active and sham tVNS, but no significant difference in patients with vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome in both groups. All side effects were considered common medical conditions with no obvious correlation to tVNS. Conclusion These preliminary data provide early evidence that tVNS may be an effective and safe approach for promoting the recovery of consciousness, especially in patients with MCS. Clinical trial registration https://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=175938&htm=4, identifier: ChiCTR2200066629.
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13
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Xiong Q, Le K, Tang Y, Ye W, Wang Y, Zhong Y, Zhou Y, Feng Z. Effect of single and combined median nerve stimulation and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness: a prospective, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1112768. [PMID: 37168716 PMCID: PMC10164991 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1112768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the efficacy of median nerve stimulation (MNS) combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), MNS alone, and rTMS alone in elevating the level of consciousness in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDOC). Participants and methods We enrolled 75 eligible inpatients suffering from pDOC as a result of traumatic or non-traumatic brain injury. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following three treatment groups: (1) rTMS+sham-MNS; (2) MNS + sham-rTMS; or (3) MNS + rTMS. The rTMS protocol involved stimulation above the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at a 10 Hz frequency and 90% resting motor threshold. The MNS protocol involved the delivery of a 15-20 mA current at the median nerve point 2 cm from the wrist crease of the right distal forearm. The primary outcome was the change from baseline of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) score after treatment. Secondary outcomes included post-treatment changes from baseline of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, awaken ratio, electroencephalography (EEG) scores, and the latency and amplitude of N20 on somatosensory evoked potentials. Results Before the intervention, there were no significant differences between groups in the CRS-R, GCS scores, age, duration of pDOC, clinical diagnosis, EEG scores, latency and amplitude of N20, sex, job, marital status, education level, or disease etiology. Within the three groups, the total CRS-R, GCS scores and amplitude of N20 on both side significantly increased and latency of N20 on poor side significantly decreased post-intervention. Significantly greater improvement in CRS-R, GCS total scores, amplitude of N20 on both side and latency of N20 on the poor side were observed in the MNS + TMS group compared to those of the groups receiving rTMS alone or MNS alone. The patients receiving TMS and MNS intervention showed a greater EEG activity improvement, and the EEG activity improved ratio significantly differ between groups, while there were no significant differences in the awakening ratios between the three groups. Conclusion The combination of MNS + rTMS was more efficacious in improving the level of consciousness than MNS alone or rTMS alone in patients with pDOC.
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Nekrasova JY, Kanarsky MM, Borisov IV, Pradhan P, Yankevich DS, Roshka SF, Petrova MV, Grechko AV. Post-Discharge Plight Of Patients With Chronic Disorders Of Consciousness: A Systematic Review Of Socioeconomic And Health Aspects. RUSSIAN OPEN MEDICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.15275/rusomj.2022.0412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective — the presented study aims to systematize and structure significant information regarding the problems of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) and their families after discharge from the hospital, and to search for possible solutions. Material and Methods — to identify eligible studies, we searched the Medline database (via PubMed) for studies on socioeconomic and medical issues of patients with chronic DOC at the post-hospital stage of rehabilitation for the last 20 years. Results — we included 28 studies with 21 cohorts of patients from 7 different countries in our study. The components of informal caregiver burden and their impact on the quality of life were identified and systematized. These components include high physical load, high economic costs, vast time expenditures, strong emotional involvement, and a top level of expertise in caregiving, all of which are required from the relatives. Conclusion — It was affirmed, that the lack of healthcare system support was a major contributing factor to the overall burden. Our research also showed that delivering care without receiving information, advice, and training is extremely painful for family caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Yu. Nekrasova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail M. Kanarsky
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya V. Borisov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pranil Pradhan
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia; Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry S. Yankevich
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Stanislav F. Roshka
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina V. Petrova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia; Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V. Grechko
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia
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Liu Y, Sun N, Xiong J, Zhou Y, Ye X, Jiang H, Guo H, Zhi N, Lu J, He P, Yang H, Li Q, Sun R, He J. Modulation of cerebral cortex activity by acupuncture in patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness: An fNIRS study. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1043133. [PMID: 36523434 PMCID: PMC9744766 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1043133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Acupuncture is a promising non-pharmacological therapy for patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (PDOC); however, its underlying mechanism remains uncertain. This study aimed to reveal the modulatory effects of acupuncture on the cerebral cortex activity among patients with PDOC. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-eight PDOC patients were randomly assigned to the treatment (n = 14) or control (n = 14) group. The treatment group received one session of acupuncture, while the control group received one session of sham acupuncture. All patients underwent evaluation of the functional connectivity and activation response of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), primary motor cortex (M1), and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) via functional near-infrared spectroscopy. We further explored the potential correlation of the consciousness level and activation response/functional connectivity with acupuncture. RESULTS Compared to the control group, a single session of acupuncture significantly tended to enhance resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in DLPFC-M1, DLPFC-M1, and S1-S1. And the activation level of the DLPFC (both sides) in the acupuncture group is significantly higher than those in sham acupuncture group. However, no significant correlation was found between the consciousness level and activation response/functional connectivity. CONCLUSION One session of acupuncture has a significant modulation of rsFC and activation in the DLPFC, M1, and S1 with PDOC patients. Acupuncture-evoked effect may have some functional significance in PDOC patients. This is an important step toward exploring the acupuncture effects on PDOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Liu
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ning Sun
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Xiong
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuanfang Zhou
- Acupuncture and Tuina School/The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiangyin Ye
- Acupuncture and Tuina School/The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hua Jiang
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hua Guo
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Na Zhi
- Acupuncture and Tuina School/The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jingkang Lu
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Peijue He
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Huilin Yang
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qingbin Li
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ruirui Sun
- Acupuncture and Tuina School/The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing He
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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16
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Understanding, detecting, and stimulating consciousness recovery in the ICU. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2022; 165:809-828. [PMID: 36242637 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-022-05378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Coma is a medical and socioeconomic emergency. Although underfunded, research on coma and disorders of consciousness has made impressive progress. Lesion-network-mapping studies have delineated the precise brainstem regions that consistently produce coma when damaged. Functional neuroimaging has revealed how mechanisms like "communication through coherence" and "inhibition by gating" work in synergy to enable cortico-cortical processing and how this information transfer is disrupted in brain injury. On the cellular level, break-down of intracellular communication between the layer 5 pyramidal cell soma and the apical dendritic part impairs dendritic information integration, with up-stream effects on microcircuits in local neuronal populations and on large-scale fronto-parietal networks, which correlates with loss of consciousness. A breakthrough in clinical concepts occurred when fMRI, and later EEG, studies revealed that 15% of clinically unresponsive patients in acute and chronic settings are in fact awake and aware, as shown by their command following abilities revealed by brain activation during motor and locomotion imagery tasks. This condition is now termed "cognitive motor dissociation." Furthermore, epidemiological data on coma were literally non-existent until recently because of difficulties related to case ascertainment with traditional methods, but crowdsourcing of family observations enabled the first estimates of how frequent coma is in the general population (pooled annual incidence of 201 coma cases per 100,000 population in the UK and the USA). Diagnostic guidelines on coma and disorders of consciousness by the American Academy of Neurology and the European Academy of Neurology provide ambitious clinical frameworks to accommodate these achievements. As for therapy, a broad range of medical and non-medical treatment options is now being tested in increasingly larger trials; in particular, amantadine and transcranial direct current stimulation appear promising in this regard. Major international initiatives like the Curing Coma Campaign aim to raise awareness for coma and disorders of consciousness in the public, with the ultimate goal to make more brain-injured patients recover consciousness after a coma. To highlight all these accomplishments, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress and future challenges related to understanding, detecting, and stimulating consciousness recovery in the ICU.
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Jin B, Tang Y, Wu Y, Liu Z. Case report: Tongdu Xingshen acupuncture for a patient with persistent vegetative state after herpes simplex virus encephalitis. Front Neurol 2022; 13:896721. [PMID: 36262837 PMCID: PMC9576148 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.896721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction A persistent vegetative state (PVS) can be caused by traumatic or non-traumatic brain injury. PVS is a complex clinical condition with numerous complications. Nursing care, medical treatment, and comprehensive rehabilitation are necessary to improve the outcomes of PVS. However, the prognosis remains unsatisfactory. Acupuncture therapy has been used as a rehabilitation strategy to treat patients with PVS in China, showing better results in the recovery of consciousness, intellectual capability, and motor function. Case description We present the case of a 4-month-long PVS after herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) in a 3.5-year-old boy who underwent Tongdu Xingshen acupuncture integrated with Western medicine and rehabilitation. The patient regained consciousness post-treatment. His intelligence and motor function gradually recovered after seven treatment sessions. Conclusion Tongdu Xingshen acupuncture is a potential complementary therapy to optimize clinical outcomes in PVS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxu Jin
- Department of Rehabilitation, Panyu Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuyuan Tang
- Clinical Research and Big Data Laboratory, South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunyun Wu
- Medical College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhuan Liu
- Department of Children Rehabilitation, Nanhai Maternity and Children Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenhuan Liu
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Boegle K, Bassi M, Comanducci A, Kuehlmeyer K, Oehl P, Raiser T, Rosenfelder M, Sitt JD, Valota C, Willacker L, Bender A, Grill E. Informal Caregivers of Patients with Disorders of Consciousness: a Qualitative Study of Communication Experiences and Information Needs with Physicians. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2022; 15:24. [PMID: 35912377 PMCID: PMC9307713 DOI: 10.1007/s12152-022-09503-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDue to improvements in medicine, the figures of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) are increasing. Diagnostics of DoC and prognostication of rehabilitation outcome is challenging but necessary to evaluate recovery potential and to decide on treatment options. Such decisions should be made by doctors and patients’ surrogates based on medico-ethical principles. Meeting information needs and communicating effectively with caregivers as the patients´ most common surrogate-decision makers is crucial, and challenging when novel tech-nologies are introduced. This qualitative study aims to explore information needs of informal DoC caregivers, how they manage the obtained information and their perceptions and experiences with caregiver-physician communication in facilities that implemented innovative neurodiagnostics studies. In 2021, we conducted semi-structured interviews with nine caregivers of clinically stable DoC patients in two rehabilitation centers in Italy and Germany. Participants were selected based on consecutive purposeful sampling. Caregivers were recruited at the facilities after written informed consent. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated. For analysis, we used reflexive thematic analysis according to Braun & Clarke (2006). Caregivers experienced the conversations emotionally, generally based on the value of the information provided. They reported to seek positive information, comfort and empathy with-in the communication of results of examinations. They needed detailed information to gain a deep understanding and a clear picture of their loved-one’s condition. The results suggest a mismatch between the perspectives of caregivers and the perspectives of medical profession-als, and stress the need for more elaborate approaches to the communication of results of neu-rodiagnostics studies.
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Di Gregorio F, La Porta F, Petrone V, Battaglia S, Orlandi S, Ippolito G, Romei V, Piperno R, Lullini G. Accuracy of EEG Biomarkers in the Detection of Clinical Outcome in Disorders of Consciousness after Severe Acquired Brain Injury: Preliminary Results of a Pilot Study Using a Machine Learning Approach. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081897. [PMID: 36009445 PMCID: PMC9405912 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate outcome detection in neuro-rehabilitative settings is crucial for appropriate long-term rehabilitative decisions in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). EEG measures derived from high-density EEG can provide helpful information regarding diagnosis and recovery in DoC patients. However, the accuracy rate of EEG biomarkers to predict the clinical outcome in DoC patients is largely unknown. This study investigated the accuracy of psychophysiological biomarkers based on clinical EEG in predicting clinical outcomes in DoC patients. To this aim, we extracted a set of EEG biomarkers in 33 DoC patients with traumatic and nontraumatic etiologies and estimated their accuracy to discriminate patients’ etiologies and predict clinical outcomes 6 months after the injury. Machine learning reached an accuracy of 83.3% (sensitivity = 92.3%, specificity = 60%) with EEG-based functional connectivity predicting clinical outcome in nontraumatic patients. Furthermore, the combination of functional connectivity and dominant frequency in EEG activity best predicted clinical outcomes in traumatic patients with an accuracy of 80% (sensitivity = 85.7%, specificity = 71.4%). These results highlight the importance of functional connectivity in predicting recovery in DoC patients. Moreover, this study shows the high translational value of EEG biomarkers both in terms of feasibility and accuracy for the assessment of DoC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Gregorio
- UO Medicina Riabilitativa e Neuroriabilitazione, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, 40133 Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio La Porta
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Simone Battaglia
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Torino, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Silvia Orlandi
- Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento, 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ippolito
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | | | - Giada Lullini
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna
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20
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Min JH, Shin YI. Treatment and Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury: Current Update. BRAIN & NEUROREHABILITATION 2022; 15:e14. [PMID: 36743200 PMCID: PMC9833473 DOI: 10.12786/bn.2022.15.e14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acquired injury to the brain caused by external mechanical forces, which can cause temporary or permanent disability. TBI and its potential long-term consequences are serious public health concerns. This review seeks to provide updated information on the current methods of management of patients with TBI to improve patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hong Min
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.,Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Yong-Il Shin
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.,Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
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21
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Helmstaedter C, Rings T, Buscher L, Janssen B, Alaeddin S, Krause V, Knecht S, Lehnertz K. Stimulation-related modifications of evolving functional brain networks in unresponsive wakefulness. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11586. [PMID: 35803974 PMCID: PMC9270393 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15803-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in neurophysiological brain network analysis have demonstrated novel potential for diagnosis and prognosis of disorders of consciousness. While most progress has been achieved on the population-sample level, time-economic and easy-to-apply personalized solutions are missing. This prospective controlled study combined EEG recordings, basal stimulation, and daily behavioral assessment as applied routinely during complex early rehabilitation treatment. We investigated global characteristics of EEG-derived evolving functional brain networks during the repeated (3–6 weeks apart) evaluation of brain dynamics at rest as well as during and after multisensory stimulation in ten patients who were diagnosed with an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS). The age-corrected average clustering coefficient C* allowed to discriminate between individual patients at first (three patients) and second assessment (all patients). Clinically, only two patients changed from UWS to minimally conscious state. Of note, most patients presented with significant changes of C* due to stimulations, along with treatment, and with an increasing temporal distance to injury. These changes tended towards the levels of nine healthy controls. Our approach allowed to monitor both, short-term effects of individual therapy sessions and possibly long-term recovery. Future studies will need to assess its full potential for disease monitoring and control of individualized treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Helmstaedter
- St. Mauritius Therapieklinik GmbH, Strümper Str. 111, 40670, Meerbusch, Germany. .,Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Thorsten Rings
- Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 14-16, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lara Buscher
- St. Mauritius Therapieklinik GmbH, Strümper Str. 111, 40670, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Benedikt Janssen
- St. Mauritius Therapieklinik GmbH, Strümper Str. 111, 40670, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Sara Alaeddin
- St. Mauritius Therapieklinik GmbH, Strümper Str. 111, 40670, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Vanessa Krause
- St. Mauritius Therapieklinik GmbH, Strümper Str. 111, 40670, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Stefan Knecht
- St. Mauritius Therapieklinik GmbH, Strümper Str. 111, 40670, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Klaus Lehnertz
- Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Venusberg Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 14-16, 53115, Bonn, Germany.,Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Systems, University of Bonn, Brühler Str. 7, 53175, Bonn, Germany
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22
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Kang J, Zhong Y, Chen G, Huang L, Tang Y, Ye W, Feng Z. Development and Validation of a Website to Guide Decision-Making for Disorders of Consciousness. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:934283. [PMID: 35875805 PMCID: PMC9300987 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.934283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram and present it on a website to be used to predict the overall survival at 16, 32, and 48 months in patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (pDOC).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the data of 381 patients with pDOC at two centers. The data were randomly divided into training and validation sets using a ratio of 6:4. On the training set, Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to identify the predictive variables. In the training set, two models were screened by COX regression analysis, and based on clinical evidence, model 2 was eventually selected in the nomogram after comparing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of the two models. In the training and validation sets, ROC curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were utilized to measure discrimination, calibration, and clinical efficacy, respectively.ResultsThe final model included age, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, serum albumin level, and computed tomography (CT) midline shift, all of which had a significant effect on survival after DOCs. For the 16-, 32-, and 48-month survival on the training set, the model had good discriminative power, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.791, 0.760, and 0.886, respectively. For the validation set, the AUCs for the 16-, 32-, and 48-month survival predictions were 0.806, 0.789, and 0.867, respectively. Model performance was good for both the training and validation sets according to calibration plots and DCA.ConclusionWe developed an accurate, efficient nomogram, and a corresponding website based on four correlated factors to help clinicians improve their assessment of patient outcomes and help personalize the treatment process and clinical decisions.
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Kondziella D, Stevens RD. Classifying Disorders of Consciousness: Past, Present, and Future. Semin Neurol 2022; 42:239-248. [PMID: 35738291 DOI: 10.1055/a-1883-1021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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24
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Curley WH, Comanducci A, Fecchio M. Conventional and Investigational Approaches Leveraging Clinical EEG for Prognosis in Acute Disorders of Consciousness. Semin Neurol 2022; 42:309-324. [PMID: 36100227 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1755220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Prediction of recovery of consciousness after severe brain injury is difficult and limited by a lack of reliable, standardized biomarkers. Multiple approaches for analysis of clinical electroencephalography (EEG) that shed light on prognosis in acute severe brain injury have emerged in recent years. These approaches fall into two major categories: conventional characterization of EEG background and quantitative measurement of resting state or stimulus-induced EEG activity. Additionally, a small number of studies have associated the presence of electrophysiologic sleep features with prognosis in the acute phase of severe brain injury. In this review, we focus on approaches for the analysis of clinical EEG that have prognostic significance and that could be readily implemented with minimal additional equipment in clinical settings, such as intensive care and intensive rehabilitation units, for patients with acute disorders of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Curley
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurology, Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Comanducci
- IRCSS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, Italy.,Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Fecchio
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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25
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Monitoring Eye Movements Depending on the Type of Visual Stimulus in Patients with Impaired Consciousness Due to Brain Damage. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106280. [PMID: 35627817 PMCID: PMC9140856 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The eyeballs are often the only way to communicate messages as a result of brain damage. However, it is not uncommon for them to become dysfunctional, thus requiring the introduction of appropriate therapy. The trajectory of eye movements (saccadic movements and gaze fixation) during observation of a static and dynamic point presented with an eye tracker was analyzed in the present study. Twelve patients with brain injury of different etiology, with different degrees of consciousness disorders and not communicating through verbal and motor skills, qualified for the study. All participants demonstrated greater eye movement activity when presented with a dynamic task in which they observed a moving point. The findings suggest that effective eye movement therapy must incorporate dynamic stimuli.
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26
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Kujawa K, Żurek A, Gorączko A, Zurek G. Application of High-Tech Solution for Memory Assessment in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness. Front Neurol 2022; 13:841095. [PMID: 35432173 PMCID: PMC9008141 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.841095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Testing cognitive function in patients after severe brain damage is a major clinical challenge. In the absence of both verbal and motor communication, tests commonly used to assess cognitive function are completely or partially undoable for disorders of consciousness patients. The study involved 12 patients with varying degrees of impaired consciousness due to brain damage, with no verbal and motor communication. Memory was assessed in study participants using oculography. Memory tasks were presented in four categories. The total percentage of correctly completed tasks obtained across the group was 39.58%. The most difficult tasks included category C.4 with tasks involving working memory. Regardless of the subjects' level of consciousness, there was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of correct responses obtained in subgroups distinguished by CRS-R score. Eye tracking technology can be successfully used in the assessment of cognitive function, particularly when eye movements are the only channel of communication in individuals after brain damage. We suggest that the cognitive functions of people after brain damage should be further analyzed using eye tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kujawa
- Department of Biostructure, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
- Neurorehabilitation Clinic, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Alina Żurek
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agata Gorączko
- Department of Biostructure, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
- Neurorehabilitation Clinic, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Zurek
- Department of Biostructure, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
- *Correspondence: Grzegorz Zurek
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27
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Kang J, Huang L, Tang Y, Chen G, Ye W, Wang J, Feng Z. A dynamic model to predict long-term outcomes in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:789-799. [PMID: 35045397 PMCID: PMC8833128 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE It is important to predict the prognosis of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC). This study established and validated a nomogram and corresponding web-based calculator to predict outcomes for patients with prolonged DOC. METHODS All data were obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University and the Shangrao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Predictive variables were identified by univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and a decision curve analysis (DCA) were utilized to assess the predictive accuracy, discriminative ability, and clinical utility of the model, respectively. RESULTS Independent prognostic factors, such as age, Glasgow coma scale score, state of consciousness, and brainstem auditory-evoked potential grade were integrated into a nomogram. The model demonstrated good discrimination in the training and validation cohorts, with area-under-the-curve values of 0.815 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.748-0.882) and 0.805 (95% CI: 0.727-0.883), respectively. The calibration plots and DCA demonstrated good model performance and clear clinical benefits in both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS Based on our nomogram, we developed an effective, simple, and accurate model of a web-based calculator that may help individualize healthcare decision-making. Further research is warranted to optimize the system and update the predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Kang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Lianghua Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Yunliang Tang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Gengfa Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Wen Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Feng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, P.R. China
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28
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Peterson A, Aas S, Wasserman D. What Justifies the Allocation of Health Care Resources to Patients with Disorders of Consciousness? AJOB Neurosci 2021; 12:127-139. [PMID: 33787458 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2021.1896594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This paper critically engages ethical issues in the allocation of novel, and potentially costly, health care resources to patients with disorders of consciousness. First, we review potential benefits of novel health care resources for patients and their families and outline preliminary considerations to address concerns about cost. We then address two problems regarding the allocation of health care resources to patients with disorders of consciousness: (1) the problem of uncertain moral status; and (2) the problem of accurately measuring the welfare burdens these resources would relieve. We conclude by suggesting that opportunity-based frameworks might complement standard approaches for justifying resources allocation to patients with disorders of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Peterson
- Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, George Mason University
| | - Sean Aas
- Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University
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29
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Sharma-Virk M, van Erp WS, Lavrijsen JCM, Koopmans RTCM. Intensive neurorehabilitation for patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness: protocol of a mixed-methods study focusing on outcomes, ethics and impact. BMC Neurol 2021; 21:133. [PMID: 33752631 PMCID: PMC7983203 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-021-02158-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) are amongst the severest sequelae of acquired brain injury. Evidence regarding epidemiology and rehabilitation outcomes is scarce. These knowledge gaps and psychological distress in families of PDOC patients may complicate clinical decision-making. The complex PDOC care and associated moral dilemmas result in high workload in healthcare professionals. Since 2019, all PDOC patients in the Netherlands have access to intensive neurorehabilitation up to 2 years post-injury provided by one rehabilitation center and four specialized nursing homes. Systematic monitoring of quantitative rehabilitation data within this novel chain of care is done in a study called DOCTOR. The optimization of tailored PDOC care, however, demands a better understanding of the impact of PDOC on patients, their families and healthcare professionals and their views on rehabilitation outcomes, end-of-life decisions and quality of dying. The True Outcomes of PDOC (TOPDOC) study aims to gain insight in the qualitative outcomes of PDOC rehabilitation and impact of PDOC on patients, their families and healthcare professionals. METHODS Nationwide multicenter prospective cohort study in the settings of early and prolonged intensive neurorehabilitation with a two-year follow-up period, involving three study populations: PDOC patients > 16 years, patients' family members and healthcare professionals involved in PDOC care. Families' and healthcare professionals' views on quality of rehabilitation outcomes, end-of-life decisions and dying will be qualitatively assessed using comprehensive questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Ethical dilemmas will be explored by studying moral deliberations. The impact of providing care to PDOC patients on healthcare professionals will be studied in focus groups. DISCUSSION To our knowledge, this is the first nationwide study exploring quality of outcomes, end-of-life decisions and dying in PDOC patients and the impact of PDOC in a novel chain of care spanning the first 24 months post-injury in specialized rehabilitation and nursing home settings. Newly acquired knowledge in TOPDOC concerning quality of outcomes in PDOC rehabilitation, ethical aspects and the impact of PDOC will enrich quantitative epidemiological knowledge and outcomes arising from DOCTOR. Together, these projects will contribute to the optimization of centralized PDOC care providing support to PDOC patients, families and healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manju Sharma-Virk
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,PZC Dordrecht, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Willemijn S van Erp
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Accolade Zorg, Bosch en Duin, The Netherlands.,Libra Revalidatie & Audiologie, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Jan C M Lavrijsen
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond T C M Koopmans
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Joachim en Anna, Centre for Specialized Geriatric Care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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30
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Huang J, Qiu L, Lin Q, Xiao J, Huang Y, Huang H, Zhou X, Shi X, Wang F, He Y, Pan J. Hybrid asynchronous brain-computer interface for yes/no communication in patients with disorders of consciousness. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 33735851 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abf00c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective.For patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC), such as vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), communication is challenging. Currently, the communication methods of DOC patients are limited to behavioral responses. However, DOC patients cannot provide sufficient behavioral responses due to motor impairments and limited attention. In this study, we proposed a hybrid asynchronous brain-computer interface (BCI) system that provides a new communication channel for DOC patients.Approach.Seven DOC patients (3 VS and 4 MCS) and eleven healthy subjects participated in our experiment. Each subject was instructed to focus on the square with the Chinese words 'Yes' and 'No'. Then, the BCI system determined the target square with both P300 and steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) detections. For the healthy group, we tested the performance of the hybrid system and the single-modality BCI system.Main results.All healthy subjects achieved significant accuracy (range from 72% to 100%) in both the hybrid system and the single-modality system. The hybrid asynchronous BCI system outperformed the P300-only and SSVEP-only systems. Furthermore, we employed the asynchronous approach to dynamically collect the EEG signals. Compared with the synchronous system, there was a 21% reduction in the average required rounds and a reduction of 105 s in the online experiment time. This asynchronous system was applied to detect the 'yes/no' communication function of seven DOC patients, and the results showed that three of the patients (3 MCS) showed significant accuracies (67 ± 3%) in the online experiment, and their Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) scores were also improved compared with the scores before the experiment. This result demonstrated that 3 of 7 patients were able to communicate using our hybrid asynchronous BCI system.Significance.This hybrid asynchronous BCI system represents a useful auxiliary bedside tool for simple communication with DOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyong Huang
- South China Normal University, School of Software, Guangzhou, 510630, CHINA
| | - Lina Qiu
- South China Normal University, School of Software, Guangzhou, 510630, CHINA
| | - Qianmin Lin
- Guangdong Work Injury Rehabilitation Hospital, Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation & Severe Rehabilitation Department, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510400, CHINA
| | - Jun Xiao
- South China University of Technology, Center for Brain Computer Interfaces and Brain Information Processing, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, CHINA
| | - Yuanqiu Huang
- Guangdong Work Injury Rehabilitation Hospital, Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation & Severe Rehabilitation Department, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510400, CHINA
| | - Haiyun Huang
- South China University of Technology, Center for Brain Computer Interfaces and Brain Information Processing, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, CHINA
| | - Xinjie Zhou
- Guangdong Work Injury Rehabilitation Hospital, Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation & Severe Rehabilitation Department, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510400, CHINA
| | - Xiangyu Shi
- South China University of Technology, Center for Brain Computer Interfaces and Brain Information Processing, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, CHINA
| | - Fei Wang
- South China Normal University, School of Software, Guangzhou, 510630, CHINA
| | - Yanbin He
- Guangdong Work Injury Rehabilitation Hospital, Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation & Severe Rehabilitation Department, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510400, CHINA
| | - Jiahui Pan
- South China Normal University, School of Software, Guangzhou, 510631, CHINA
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Chadasch C, Kotchoubey B. Life satisfaction in families with a child in an Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome. BMC Pediatr 2021; 21:116. [PMID: 33685445 PMCID: PMC7938537 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02549-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The article examines life conditions in families living together with a child in an Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS). Such families experience severe stress at financial, logistical, and existential level. Methods We investigated a large sample of families living with a UWS child (comprising 13% of the total population) and compared these families with families without a chronically ill child. A set of four questionnaires aimed to evaluate life conditions entails a total of 204 items. One of the questionnaires was developed by the corresponding author specifically for this study. The questionnaires were positively accepted by the persons concerned and permitted us to test six specific hypotheses. Results Life satisfaction (LS) in families with a UWS child was significantly lower than in control families. LS was significantly affected by external situational factors (everyday support, home visits, support by a doctor, nursing service, health insurance, etc.). Self-management skills were on average lower in families with a UWS child than in controls. These skills strongly and directly correlated with LS. Further, LS was not significantly related to the acceptance of feelings and negatively correlated with the floods of emotions. The relationship with the own child was equally satisfactory in families with and without a UWS child indicating that the families regard their UWS child as a full family member. Conclusions The data show that happy life is possible in families living together with a UWS child. They further specify conditions for satisfactory life under multiple highly severe challenges. Personal self-management skills, coping strategies, and resilience, as well as outside social support, appear to be critical factors. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-021-02549-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Chadasch
- Management Psychology, Coping, Resilience & Ethics, Meiersheide 8a, 53773, Hennef, Germany.
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhardt Karls University of Tübingen, Silcherstr. 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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Edlow BL, Claassen J, Schiff ND, Greer DM. Recovery from disorders of consciousness: mechanisms, prognosis and emerging therapies. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:135-156. [PMID: 33318675 PMCID: PMC7734616 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-00428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Substantial progress has been made over the past two decades in detecting, predicting and promoting recovery of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) caused by severe brain injuries. Advanced neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques have revealed new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying recovery of consciousness and have enabled the identification of preserved brain networks in patients who seem unresponsive, thus raising hope for more accurate diagnosis and prognosis. Emerging evidence suggests that covert consciousness, or cognitive motor dissociation (CMD), is present in up to 15-20% of patients with DoC and that detection of CMD in the intensive care unit can predict functional recovery at 1 year post injury. Although fundamental questions remain about which patients with DoC have the potential for recovery, novel pharmacological and electrophysiological therapies have shown the potential to reactivate injured neural networks and promote re-emergence of consciousness. In this Review, we focus on mechanisms of recovery from DoC in the acute and subacute-to-chronic stages, and we discuss recent progress in detecting and predicting recovery of consciousness. We also describe the developments in pharmacological and electrophysiological therapies that are creating new opportunities to improve the lives of patients with DoC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Edlow
- Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Jan Claassen
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas D Schiff
- Feil Family Brain Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - David M Greer
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Somatosensory evoked potential amplitudes correlate with long-term consciousness recovery in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 132:793-799. [PMID: 33578338 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To prospectively investigate relationships of cortical somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) amplitudes with consciousness recovery and disability in the year following brain injury in patients with vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS). METHODS SEPs of 42 patients with VS/UWS were recorded 51.7 ± 23.3 days post-injury. N20-P25 amplitudes were compared between patients with and without consciousness recovery at 6 months and 1 year post-injury. RESULTS SEPs were present in 21 patients and bilaterally absent in 21 patients. N20-P25 amplitudes were significantly higher in patients who recovered consciousness than in those who died or did not recover consciousness at 6 months (median, 4.6 vs. 1.9 μV; P = 0.004) and 1 year (median, 4.6 vs. 2.1 μV; P = 0.02) after injury. The lowest N20-P25 amplitude in a patient who recovered consciousness was 2.15 μV. N20-P25 amplitudes correlated significantly with Coma Recovery Scale-Revised and Disability Rating Scale scores at 6 months and 1 year post-injury (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In patients with VS/UWS, SEP amplitudes are related to consciousness recovery and disability at 6 months and 1 year post-injury. SIGNIFICANCE The evaluation of SEP amplitudes can help to refine prognoses for patients with VS/UWS.
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Driessen DMF, Utens CMA, Ribbers GM, van Erp WS, Heijenbrok-Kal MH. Outcome registry of early intensive neurorehabilitation in patients with disorders of consciousness: study protocol of a prospective cohort study. BMC Neurol 2021; 21:69. [PMID: 33579219 PMCID: PMC7879405 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-021-02099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) may occur after severe brain injury. Two diagnostic entities are distinguished within PDOC: unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS, previously known as vegetative state) and minimally conscious state (MCS). Patients with PDOC may benefit from early intensive neurorehabilitation (EIN). In the Netherlands, the EIN programme is provided by one designated expert rehabilitation centre and forms the starting point of a dedicated chain of specialised rehabilitation and care for this group. This study project, called DOCTOR: Disorders of Consciousness; Treatment and Outcomes Registry, sets up a registry and systematically investigates multiple short- and long-term outcomes of patients with PDOC who receive EIN. METHODS Single-centre prospective cohort study with a 2-year follow-up period. Patients with PDOC due to acute brain injury who receive EIN, aged 16 years and older are included. Measurements will take place at start EIN, in week 5, 10, and at discharge from the EIN programme (duration = max 14 weeks) and at week 28, 40, 52, and 104 after admission to the EIN programme, following patients through the health-care chain. Outcome measures are the changes over time in level of consciousness, using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised; the frequency and type of medical complications; the mortality rate; level of disability, including the level of motor, cognitive, behavioural and emotional functioning; participation; and quality of life. Secondary outcomes include self-efficacy of caregivers, caregivers' strain and cost-effectiveness of the programme. DISCUSSION The DOCTOR study will provide insight in the recovery patterns and predictors of recovery for multiple outcomes in PDOC patients after following EIN. The results of the study will enable us to benchmark and improve EIN and the organisation of the health-care chain, both for patients with PDOC and for their families. TRIAL REGISTRATION Netherlands Trial Register, NL 8138 . Retrospectively registered 6 November 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M F Driessen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. .,Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology, PO Box 1355, 5022 KE, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
| | - Cecile M A Utens
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology, PO Box 1355, 5022 KE, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard M Ribbers
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Rijndam Rehabilitation, PO Box 23181, 3001 KD, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Willemijn S van Erp
- Libra Rehabilitation & Audiology, PO Box 1355, 5022 KE, Tilburg, the Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Department of Primary and Community Care, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Accolade Zorg, Zeist, the Netherlands
| | - Majanka H Heijenbrok-Kal
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Rijndam Rehabilitation, PO Box 23181, 3001 KD, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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35
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Gonzalez-Lara LE, Munce S, Christian J, Owen AM, Weijer C, Webster F. The multiplicity of caregiving burden: a qualitative analysis of families with prolonged disorders of consciousness. Brain Inj 2021; 35:200-208. [PMID: 33385307 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2020.1865565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To understand the multiple and sometimes conflicting roles substitute decision makers (SDMs) of individuals in a vegetative state (VS), minimally conscious state (MCS), or with locked-in syndrome (LIS) perform while caring for a loved one and the competing priorities derived from these roles.Methods: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews using a constructive-grounded theory design. Twelve SDMs, who were also family members for 11 patients, were interviewed at two time points (except one) for a total of 21 in-depth interviews.Results: Participants described that caregiving is often the central role which they identify as their top priority and around which they coordinate and to some extent subordinate their other roles. In addition to caregiving, they participated in a wide variety of roles, which were sometimes in conflict, as they became caregivers for a loved one with chronic and complex needs. SDMs described the caregiver role as complex and intense that lead to physical, emotional, social, and economic burdens.Conclusion: SDMs report high levels of burdens in caring for a person with a prolonged disorder of consciousness. Lack of health system support that recognized the broader context of SDMs lives, including their multiple competing priorities, was a major contributing factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Munce
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network
| | | | - Adrian M Owen
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Fiona Webster
- Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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Song M, Yang Y, Yang Z, Cui Y, Yu S, He J, Jiang T. Prognostic models for prolonged disorders of consciousness: an integrative review. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:3945-3961. [PMID: 32306061 PMCID: PMC11104990 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03512-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Disorders of consciousness (DoC) are acquired conditions of severe altered consciousness. During the past decades, some prognostic models for DoC have been explored on the basis of a variety of predictors, including demographics, neurological examinations, clinical diagnosis, neurophysiology and brain images. In this article, a systematic review of pertinent literature was conducted. We identified and evaluated 21 prognostic models involving a total of 1201 DoC patients. In terms of the reported accuracies of predicting the prognosis of DoC, these 21 models vary widely, ranging from 60 to 90%. Using improvement of consciousness level as favorable outcome criteria, we performed a quantitative meta-analysis, and found that the pooled sensitivity and specificity of the hybrid model that combined more than one technique were both superior to those of any single technique, including EEG and fMRI at the tasks and resting state. These results support the view that any single technique has its own advantages and limitations; and the integrations of multiple techniques, including diverse brain images and different paradigms, have the potential to improve predictive accuracy for DoC. Then, we provide methodological points of view and some prospects about future research. Totally, in comparison to a great many diagnostic methods for the DoC, the research of prognostic models is sparse and preliminary, still largely in its infancy with many challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Song
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Zhengyi Yang
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yue Cui
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Shan Yu
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jianghong He
- Department of Neurosurgery, The 7th Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100070, China.
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 625014, China.
- The Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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37
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Wang J, Hu X, Hu Z, Sun Z, Laureys S, Di H. The misdiagnosis of prolonged disorders of consciousness by a clinical consensus compared with repeated coma-recovery scale-revised assessment. BMC Neurol 2020; 20:343. [PMID: 32919461 PMCID: PMC7488705 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-020-01924-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that a single Coma-Recovery Scale-Revision (CRS-R) assessment can identify high rates of misdiagnosis by clinical consensus. The aim of this study was to investigate the proportion of misdiagnosis by clinical consensus compared to repeated behavior-scale assessments in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC). METHODS Patients with prolonged DOC during hospitalization were screened by clinicians, and the clinicians formed a clinical-consensus diagnosis. Trained professionals used the CRS-R to evaluate the consciousness levels of the enrolled patients repeatedly (≥5 times) within a week. Based on the repeated evaluation results, the enrolled patients with prolonged DOC were divided into unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS), minimally conscious state (MCS), and emergence from MCS (EMCS). Finally, the relationship between the results of the CRS-R and the clinical consensus were analyzed. RESULTS In this study, 137 patients with a clinical-consensus diagnosis of prolonged DOC were enrolled. It was found that 24.7% of patients with clinical UWS were actually in MCS after a single CRS-R behavior evaluation, while the repeated CRS-R evaluation results showed that the proportion of misdiagnosis of MCS was 38.2%. A total of 16.7% of EMCS patients were misdiagnosed with clinical MCS, and 1.1% of EMCS patients were misdiagnosed with clinical UWS. CONCLUSIONS The rate of the misdiagnosis by clinical consensus is still relatively high. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the importance of the bedside CRS-R behavior assessment and should apply the CRS-R tool in daily procedures. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04139239 ; Registered 24 October 2019 - Retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- International Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome and Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310036 China
| | - Xiaohua Hu
- Rehabilitation Center for Brain Damage, Wujing Hospital of Hangzhou City, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhouyao Hu
- International Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome and Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310036 China
| | - Ziwei Sun
- International Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome and Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310036 China
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Haibo Di
- International Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome and Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310036 China
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38
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Chen WG, Li R, Zhang Y, Hao JH, Du JB, Guo AS, Song WQ. Recovery from prolonged disorders of consciousness: A dual-center prospective cohort study in China. World J Clin Cases 2020; 8:2520-2529. [PMID: 32607329 PMCID: PMC7322439 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i12.2520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent innovations in intensive care have improved the prognosis of patients with severe brain injuries and brought more patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). Data are lacking regarding the long-term outcomes of those patients in China. It is necessary to study the long-term outcomes of patients with prolonged DoC in light of many factors likely to influence crucial decisions about their care and their life.
AIM To present the preliminary results of a DoC cohort.
METHODS This was a two-center prospective cohort study of inpatients with vegetative state (VS)/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS). The study outcomes were the recovery from VS/UWS to minimally conscious state (MCS) and the long-term status of patients with prolonged DoC considered in VS/UWS or MCS for up to 6 years. The patients were evaluated using the Glasgow coma scale, coma recovery scale-revised, and Glasgow outcome scale. The endpoint of follow-up was recovery of full consciousness or death. The changes in the primary clinical outcome improvement in clinical diagnosis were evaluated at 12 mo compared with baseline.
RESULTS The study population included 93 patients (62 VS/UWS and 31 MCS). The post-injury interval range was 28-634 d. Median follow-up was 20 mo (interquartile range, 12-37 mo). At the endpoint, 33 transitioned to an emergence from MCS or full consciousness, eight had a locked-in syndrome, and there were 35 patients remaining in a VS/UWS and 11 in an MCS. Seven (including one locked-in syndrome) patients (7.5%) died within 12 mo of injury. Compared with the unresponsive group (n = 52) at 12 mo, the responsive group (n = 41) had a higher proportion of males (87.8% vs 63.5%, P = 0.008), shorter time from injury (median, 40.0 d vs 65.5 d, P = 0.006), higher frequency of vascular etiology (68.3% vs 38.5%, P = 0.007), higher Glasgow coma scale score at admission (median, 9 vs 6, P < 0.001), higher coma recovery scale-revised score at admission (median, 9 vs 2.5, P < 0.001), at 1 mo (median, 14 vs 5, P < 0.001), and at 3 mo (median, 20 vs 6, P < 0.001), lower frequency of VS/UWS (36.6% vs 90.0%, P < 0.001), and more favorable Glasgow outcome scale outcome (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION Patients with severe DoC, despite having strong predictors of poor prognosis, might recover consciousness after a prolonged time of rehabilitation. An accurate initial diagnosis of patients with DoC is critical for predicting outcome and a long-term regular follow-up is also important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Guan Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ran Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Jian-Hui Hao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Ju-Bao Du
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Ai-Song Guo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wei-Qun Song
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
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39
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Kondziella D, Bender A, Diserens K, van Erp W, Estraneo A, Formisano R, Laureys S, Naccache L, Ozturk S, Rohaut B, Sitt JD, Stender J, Tiainen M, Rossetti AO, Gosseries O, Chatelle C. European Academy of Neurology guideline on the diagnosis of coma and other disorders of consciousness. Eur J Neurol 2020; 27:741-756. [PMID: 32090418 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 276] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Patients with acquired brain injury and acute or prolonged disorders of consciousness (DoC) are challenging. Evidence to support diagnostic decisions on coma and other DoC is limited but accumulating. This guideline provides the state-of-the-art evidence regarding the diagnosis of DoC, summarizing data from bedside examination techniques, functional neuroimaging and electroencephalography (EEG). METHODS Sixteen members of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Scientific Panel on Coma and Chronic Disorders of Consciousness, representing 10 European countries, reviewed the scientific evidence for the evaluation of coma and other DoC using standard bibliographic measures. Recommendations followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The guideline was endorsed by the EAN. RESULTS Besides a comprehensive neurological examination, the following suggestions are made: probe for voluntary eye movements using a mirror; repeat clinical assessments in the subacute and chronic setting, using the Coma Recovery Scale - Revised; use the Full Outline of Unresponsiveness score instead of the Glasgow Coma Scale in the acute setting; obtain clinical standard EEG; search for sleep patterns on EEG, particularly rapid eye movement sleep and slow-wave sleep; and, whenever feasible, consider positron emission tomography, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), active fMRI or EEG paradigms and quantitative analysis of high-density EEG to complement behavioral assessment in patients without command following at the bedside. CONCLUSIONS Standardized clinical evaluation, EEG-based techniques and functional neuroimaging should be integrated for multimodal evaluation of patients with DoC. The state of consciousness should be classified according to the highest level revealed by any of these three approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neurosciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - A Bender
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Therapiezentrum Burgau, Burgau, Germany
| | - K Diserens
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - W van Erp
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Department of Primary Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Estraneo
- Neurology Unit, Santa Maria della Pietà General Hospital, Nola, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Florence, Italy
| | - R Formisano
- Post-Coma Unit, Neurorehabilitation Hospital and Research Institution, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - S Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - L Naccache
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - S Ozturk
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - B Rohaut
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Neuro-ICU, Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - J D Sitt
- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - J Stender
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Tiainen
- Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A O Rossetti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - O Gosseries
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - C Chatelle
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Laboratory for NeuroImaging of Coma and Consciousness - Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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40
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Krewer C, Thibaut A. Non-invasive brain stimulation for treatment of severe disorders of consciousness in people with acquired brain injury. Hippokratia 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Krewer
- Schoen Clinic Bad Aibling; Clinical Human Movement Science; Kolbermoorer Str.72 Bad Aibling Germany 83043
| | - Aurore Thibaut
- Harvard Medical School; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; 79/96, 13th Street Charlestown Massachusetts USA 02145
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41
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van Erp WS, Lavrijsen JCM, Vos PE, Laureys S, Koopmans RTCM. Unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: Outcomes from a vicious circle. Ann Neurol 2019; 87:12-18. [PMID: 31675139 PMCID: PMC6972677 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Willemijn S van Erp
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jan C M Lavrijsen
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Pieter E Vos
- Department of Neurology, Slingeland Hospital, Doetinchem, the Netherlands
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Raymond T C M Koopmans
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, and Joachim en Anna Center for Specialized Geriatric Care, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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42
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Edlow BL, Fins JJ. Assessment of Covert Consciousness in the Intensive Care Unit: Clinical and Ethical Considerations. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2019; 33:424-434. [PMID: 30395042 PMCID: PMC6317885 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To propose a practical ethical framework for how task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) may be used in the intensive care unit (ICU) to identify covert consciousness in patients with acute severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS We present 2 clinical scenarios in which investigational task-based fMRI and EEG were performed in critically ill patients with acute severe TBI who appeared unconscious on the bedside behavioral assessment. From these cases, we consider the clinical and ethical challenges that emerge and suggest how to reconcile them. We also provide recommendations regarding communication with families about ICU patients with covert consciousness. RESULTS Covert consciousness was detected acutely in a patient who died in the ICU due to withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy, whereas covert consciousness was not detected in a patient who subsequently recovered consciousness, communication, and functional independence. These cases raise ethical challenges about how assessment of covert consciousness in the ICU might inform treatment decisions, prognostication, and perceptions about the benefits and burdens of ongoing care. CONCLUSIONS Given that covert consciousness can be detected acutely in the ICU, we recommend that clinicians reconsider evaluative norms for ICU patients. As our clinical appreciation of covert consciousness evolves and its ethical import unfolds, we urge prognostic humility and transparency when clinicians communicate with families in the ICU about goals of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Edlow
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown (Dr Edlow); and Division of Medical Ethics and Consortium for the Advanced Study of Brain Injury, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, and The Rockefeller University, New York, and the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy, Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut (Dr Fins)
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43
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Unexpected emergence from the vegetative state: delayed discovery rather than late recovery of consciousness. J Neurol 2019; 266:3144-3149. [PMID: 31541340 PMCID: PMC6851207 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09542-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The vegetative state, also known as the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, is one of the worst possible outcomes of acquired brain injury and confronts rehabilitation specialists with various challenges. Emergence to (minimal) consciousness is classically considered unlikely beyond 3-6 months after non-traumatic or 12 months after traumatic etiologies. A growing body of evidence suggests that these timeframes are too narrow, but evidence regarding chances of recovery is still limited. OBJECTIVE To identify the moment of recovery of consciousness in documented cases of late emergence from a vegetative state. METHODS Four cases of apparent late recovery of consciousness, identified within a prospective cohort study, were studied in-depth by analyzing medical, paramedical and nursing files and interviewing the patients' families about their account of the process of recovery. RESULTS All patients were found to have shown signs of consciousness well within the expected time frame (5 weeks-2 months post-ictus). These behaviors, however, went unnoticed or were misinterpreted, leading to a diagnostic delay of several months to over 5 years. Absence of appropriate diagnostics, the use of erroneous terminology, sedative medication but also patient-related factors such as hydrocephalus, language barriers and performance fluctuations are hypothesized to have contributed to the delay. CONCLUSIONS Delayed recognition of signs of consciousness in patients in a vegetative state may not only lead to suboptimal clinical care, but also to distorted prognostic figures. Discriminating late recovery from the delayed discovery of consciousness, therefore, is vital to both clinical practice and science.
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Grabljevec K, Singh R, Denes Z, Angerova Y, Nunes R, Boldrini P, Delargy M, Laxe S, Kiekens C, Varela Donoso E, Christodoulou N. Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine professional practice for Adults with Acquired Brain Injury. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section). Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 2018; 54:971-979. [PMID: 30160441 DOI: 10.23736/s1973-9087.18.05502-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acquired brain injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that occurs after birth caused either by a traumatic or by a nontraumatic injury. The rehabilitation process following ABI should be performed by a multi-professional team, working in an interdisciplinary way, with the aim of organizing a comprehensive and holistic approach to persons with every severity of ABI. This Evidence Based Position Paper represents the official position of the European Union through the UEMS Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) Section and designates the professional role of PRM physicians for people with ABI. The aim was to formulate recommendations on the PRM physician's professional practice for persons with ABI in order to promote their functioning and enhance quality of life. METHODS This paper has been developed according to the methodology defined by the Professional Practice Committee of the UEMS-PRM Section: a systematic literature search has been performed in PubMed and Core Clinical Journals. On the basis of the selected papers, recommendations have been made as a result of five Delphi rounds. RESULTS The literature review as well as thirty-one recommendations are presented. CONCLUSIONS The expert consensus is that structured, comprehensive and holistic rehabilitation program delivered by the multi-professional team, working in an interdisciplinary way, with the leadership and coordination of the PRM physician, is likely to be effective, especially for those with severe disability after brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klemen Grabljevec
- Department for Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation, University Rehabilitation Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia -
| | - Rajiv Singh
- Unit of Osborn Neurorehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, UK.,Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Zoltan Denes
- National Institute for Medical Rehabilitation, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Yvona Angerova
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,The First Faculty of Medicine, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Renato Nunes
- Centro de Reabilitação do Norte, Francelos, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paolo Boldrini
- Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (SIMFER), Rome, Italy
| | - Mark Delargy
- National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sara Laxe
- Unit of Neurorehabilitation, Guttmann Institute Foundation, University Institute of Neurorehabilitation affiliated to UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.,Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlotte Kiekens
- Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Enrique Varela Donoso
- Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.,UEMS PRM Committee for Professional Practice Chairman
| | - Nicolas Christodoulou
- Limassol Center of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Cyprus.,UEMS PRM Section President
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45
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Wade DT. How many patients in a prolonged disorder of consciousness might need a best interests meeting about starting or continuing gastrostomy feeding? Clin Rehabil 2018; 32:1551-1564. [PMID: 29779405 DOI: 10.1177/0269215518777285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number of people in a prolonged disorder of consciousness (PDOC) who may need a formal best interests decision-making process to consider starting and/or continuing life-sustaining treatment each year in the population of a developed country. METHOD: Identification of studies on people with a PDOC giving information about incidence, and/or prevalence, and/or cause, and/or location of long-term care. Sources included systematic reviews, a new search of MEDLINE (April 2018), and a personal collection of papers. Validating information was sought from existing data on services. RESULTS: There are few epidemiologically sound studies, most having bias and/or missing information. The best estimate of incidence of PDOC due to acute onset disease is 2.6/100,000/year; the best estimate of prevalence is between 2.0 and 5.0/100,000. There is evidence that prevalence in the Netherlands is about 10% of that in other countries. The commonest documented causes are cerebral hypoxia, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and tumours. There is some evidence suggesting that dementia is a common cause, but PDOC due to progressive disorders has not been studied systematically. Most people receive long-term care in nursing homes, but a significant proportion (10%-15%) may be cared for at home. CONCLUSION: Each year, about 5/100,000 people will enter a prolonged state of unconsciousness from acute onset and progressive brain damage; and at any one time, there may be 5/100,000 people in that state. However, the evidence is very limited in quality and quantity. The numbers may be greater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derick T Wade
- 1 OxINMAHR, and Movement Science Group, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
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46
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Span-Sluyter CAMFH, Lavrijsen JCM, van Leeuwen E, Koopmans RTCM. Moral dilemmas and conflicts concerning patients in a vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: shared or non-shared decision making? A qualitative study of the professional perspective in two moral case deliberations. BMC Med Ethics 2018; 19:10. [PMID: 29471814 PMCID: PMC5824545 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-018-0247-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Patients in a vegetative state/ unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) pose ethical dilemmas to those involved. Many conflicts occur between professionals and families of these patients. In the Netherlands physicians are supposed to withdraw life sustaining treatment once recovery is not to be expected. Yet these patients have shown to survive sometimes for decades. The role of the families is thought to be important. The aim of this study was to make an inventory of the professional perspective on conflicts in long-term care of patients in VS/UWS. Methods A qualitative study of transcripts on 2 Moral Deliberations (MD’s) in 2 cases of patients in VS/UWS in long-term care facilities. Results Six themes emerged: 1) Vision on VS/UWS; 2) Treatment and care plan; 3) Impact on relationships; 4) Feelings/attitude; 5) Communication; 6) Organizational aspects. These themes are related to professionals and to what families had expressed to the professionals. We found conflicts as well as contradictory feelings and thoughts to be a general feature in 4 of these themes, both in professionals and families. Conflicts were found in several actors: within families concerning all 6 themes, in nurse teams concerning the theme treatment and care plan, and between physicians concerning all 6 themes. Conclusions Different visions, different expectations and hope on recovery, deviating goals and contradictory feelings/thoughts in families and professionals can lead to conflicts over a patient with VS/UWS. Key factors to prevent or solve such conflicts are a carefully established diagnosis, clarity upon visions, uniformity in treatment goals and plans, an open and empathic communication, expertise and understanding the importance of contradictory feelings/thoughts. Management should bridge conflicts and support their staff, by developing expertise, by creating stability and by facilitating medical ethical discourses. Shared compassion for the patient might be a key to gain trust and bridge the differences from non-shared to shared decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conny A M F H Span-Sluyter
- Radboud University Medical Centre, department of primary care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Novicare, Professionals in Elderly Care, Best, the Netherlands.
| | - Jan C M Lavrijsen
- Radboud University Medical Centre, department of primary care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Raymond T C M Koopmans
- Radboud University Medical Centre, department of primary care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Joachim en Anna, Centre for Specialized Geriatric Care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Kameda N, Suzuki M. Caregivers' lived experience in trying to read slight movements in a child with severe brain injury: A phenomenological study. J Clin Nurs 2018; 27:e1202-e1213. [PMID: 29314400 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.14255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To explore caregivers' lived experience of reading slight movements of a child with severe brain injury. BACKGROUND Despite increased need, the development of individual care for children with severe brain injuries has been prevented by their severe physical state and the poor reproducibility of their movements. In addition to a lack of evidence on the motor characteristics of patients with severe brain injury with multiple disabilities, their own development contributes to increasing variability in their states. Thus, caregivers are compelled to rely on their experiences, which have not been academically explored. DESIGN A qualitative study based on van Manen's method of hermeneutic phenomenology. METHODS Data were obtained through twenty-one 3-hr observation sessions and five 15- to 45-min group interviews. We observed a child (called AK) with severe brain injury and his 61 caregivers, and conducted group interviews with 28 caregivers. We focused on caregivers' experiences of reading AK's slight movements. The data were interpreted based on van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach. RESULTS Four themes emerged as caregivers' experience in trying to read AK's slight movements. By considering "AK's physical state and his slight movements" and discovering "caregivers' 'sense of uncertainty' about AK's slight movements," caregivers could decipher "AK's multiple slight movements." "Sharing" was found as a necessary aspect of these other three themes of reading AK's slight movements. CONCLUSIONS We presented caregivers' experiences as related to these four themes in their efforts to read the slight movements of AK. Due to AK's slight movements with poor reproducibility, "sharing" was necessary to read AK's slight movements, as it exposes caregivers' lived experience to the interpretation of multiple caregivers. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE These four themes may be useful for assessing, guiding and promoting caregivers' use of sharing when reading the slight movements of children with severe brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoko Kameda
- Setsunan University, Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan
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Vink P, Lucas C, Maaskant JM, van Erp WS, Lindeboom R, Vermeulen H. Clinimetric properties of the Nociception Coma Scale (-Revised): A systematic review. Eur J Pain 2017; 21:1463-1474. [PMID: 28573825 PMCID: PMC5600098 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The Nociception Coma Scale is a nociception behaviour observation tool, developed specifically for patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) due to (acquired) brain injury. Over the years, the clinimetric properties of the NCS and its revised version (NCS‐R) have been assessed, but no formal summary of these properties has been made. Therefore, we performed a systematic review on the clinimetric properties (i.e. reliability, validity, responsiveness and interpretability) of the NCS(‐R). We systematically searched CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo and Web of Science until August 2015. Two reviewers independently selected the clinimetric studies and extracted data with a structured form. Included studies were appraised on quality with the COSMIN checklist. Eight studies were found eligible and were appraised with the COSMIN checklist. Although nearly all studies lacked sample size calculation, and were executed by the same group of authors, the methodological quality ranged from fair to excellent. Important aspects of reliability, construct validity and responsiveness have been studied in depth and with sufficient methodological quality. The overview of clinimetric properties in this study shows that the NCS and NCS‐R are both valid and useful instruments to assess nociceptive behaviour in DOC patients. The studies provide guidance for the choice in NCS‐R cut‐off value for possible pain treatment and cautions awareness of interprofessional differences in NCS‐R measurements. Significance This systematic review provides a structured overview of the clinimetric properties of the Nociception Coma Scale (‐Revised) and provides insights for a solid evidence‐based nociception behaviour assessment and treatment plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Vink
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Omni Cura Nursing Teaching Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Lucas
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Medical Faculty (AMC), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J M Maaskant
- Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,ACHIEVE Centre of Applied Research, Faculty of Health, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
| | - W S van Erp
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Centre for Family Medicine, Geriatric Care and Public Health, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Center and Neurology Department, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - R Lindeboom
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Medical Faculty (AMC), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Vermeulen
- Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare (IQ Healthcare), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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49
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Eilander HJ, Wijnen VJM, Schouten EJ, Lavrijsen JCM. Ten-to-twelve years after specialized neurorehabilitation of young patients with severe disorders of consciousness: A follow-up study. Brain Inj 2016; 30:1302-1310. [PMID: 27589011 DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2016.1170881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the long-term outcome of young patients with disorders of consciousness who had received intensive neurorehabilitation. METHODS A cross-sectional cohort study, in which the survival, level of consciousness, functional independence, mobility, communication and living situation were determined by means of a structured questionnaire. The cohort consisted of 44 children and young adults, originally either in a prolonged Vegetative State/Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (VS/UWS, n = 33) or a Minimally Conscious State (MCS, n = 11) who had received a specialized neurorehabilitation programme 10-12 years earlier. RESULTS Response rate was 72% (34/44). Eleven patients were deceased, 10 of whom were in VS/UWS or MCS at discharge from the programme. Of the remaining 23 patients, 19 were conscious. Twelve lived independently, of whom six required some household support. One conscious patient lived permanently in a long-term care facility. All other patients lived either independently or with their parents. None of the VS/UWS or MCS patients showed any functional recovery. CONCLUSION Two main long-term outcome scenarios can be recognized. Two-thirds of the participating patients who were conscious at programme discharge were able to live independently, whereas almost two-thirds of the participating patients who were in VS/UWS or MCS at discharge subsequently died.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henk J Eilander
- a Libra Rehabilitation Medicine and Audiology , Tilburg , The Netherlands.,b Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre , Department of Primary and Community Care , Nijmegen , The Netherlands
| | - Viona J M Wijnen
- a Libra Rehabilitation Medicine and Audiology , Tilburg , The Netherlands.,b Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre , Department of Primary and Community Care , Nijmegen , The Netherlands
| | - Evert J Schouten
- a Libra Rehabilitation Medicine and Audiology , Tilburg , The Netherlands
| | - Jan C M Lavrijsen
- b Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre , Department of Primary and Community Care , Nijmegen , The Netherlands
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50
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Hazell AS. The Vegetative State and Stem Cells: Therapeutic Considerations. Front Neurol 2016; 7:118. [PMID: 27602016 PMCID: PMC4993988 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2016.00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The vegetative state (VS), also known as “unresponsive wakefulness syndrome,” is considered one of the most devastating outcomes of acquired brain injury. While diagnosis of this condition is generally well-defined clinically, patients often appear to be awake despite an absence of behavioral signs of awareness, which to the family can be confusing, leading them to believe the loved one is aware of their surroundings. This inequality of agreement can be very distressing. Currently, no cure for the VS is available; as a result, patients may remain in this condition for the rest of their lives, which in some cases amount to decades. Recent advances in stem cell approaches for the treatment of other neurological conditions may now provide an opportunity to intervene in this syndrome. This mini review will address the development of VS, its diagnosis, affected cerebral structures, and the underlying basis of how stem cells can offer therapeutic promise that would take advantage of the often long-term features associated with this maladie to effect a repair of the severely damaged circuitry. In addition, current limitations of this treatment strategy, including a lack of animal models, few long-term clinical studies that might identify benefits of stem cell treatment, and the potential for development of tumors are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan S Hazell
- Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Programa de Postgrado en Fisiopatología Médica, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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