Is there anybody in there? Detecting awareness in disorders of consciousness.

Awareness/physiology; Brain/physiopathology; Consciousness Disorders/diagnosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Diagnostic Imaging/methods; Electrophysiology; Humans; Neurologic Examination

Abstract :

[en] The bedside detection of awareness in disorders of consciousness (DOC) caused by acquired brain injury is not an easy task. For this reason, differential diagnosis using neuroimaging and electrophysiological tools in search for objective markers of consciousness is being employed. However, such tools cannot be considered as diagnostic per se, but as assistants to the clinical evaluation, which, at present, remains the gold standard. Regarding therapeutic management in DOC, no evidence-based recommendations can be made in favor of a specific treatment. The present review summarizes clinical and paraclinical studies that have been conducted with neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques in search of residual awareness in DOC. We discuss the medical, scientific and ethical implications that derive from these studies and we argue that, in the future, the role of neuroimaging and electrophysiology will be important not only for the diagnosis and prognosis of DOC but also in establishing communication with these challenging patients.

Disciplines :

Neurology

Author, co-author :

Demertzi, Athina ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Consciousness-Physiology of Cognition

Vanhaudenhuyse, Audrey ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron

Bruno, Marie-Aurelie

Schnakers, Caroline ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron

Boly, Mélanie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Neurologie

BOVEROUX, Pierre

Maquet, Pierre ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron

Moonen, Gustave ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Département des sciences cliniques

Laureys, Steven ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron

Language :

English

Title :

Is there anybody in there? Detecting awareness in disorders of consciousness.

Publication date :

2008

Journal title :

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics

ISSN :

1473-7175

eISSN :

1744-8360

Publisher :

Taylor & Francis, United Kingdom

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

1719-30

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 07 January 2013

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