Article
Neurosciences
Maria Daniela Cortese, Francesco Arcuri, Idan E. Nemirovsky, Lucia Francesca Lucca, Paolo Tonin, Andrea Soddu, Francesco Riganello
Summary: NCS and NCS-R can be used to assess patients' behavioral responses to pain, with changes in behavioral abilities potentially indicating improvement in CRS-R diagnosis. Evaluating responses to nociceptive stimuli in DOC patients may be effective in assessing their evolving conscious state.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Aurore Thibaut, Rajanikant Panda, Jitka Annen, Leandro R. D. Sanz, Lionel Naccache, Charlotte Martial, Camille Chatelle, Charlene Aubinet, Estelle A. C. Bonin, Alice Barra, Marie-Michele Briand, Benedetta Cecconi, Sarah Wannez, Johan Stender, Steven Laureys, Olivia Gosseries
Summary: A study investigated brain activity in non-responsive brain-injured patients, finding that a significant proportion of them showed partial preservation of brain metabolism, labeled as MCS*. Patients with MCS* had better outcomes, global functional connectivity, and grey matter preservation compared to those with VS/UWS. MCS* patients had lower brain metabolism in posterior brain regions compared to MCS patients.
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Melanie Boltzmann, Simone B. Schmidt, Christoph Gutenbrunner, Joachim K. Krauss, Martin Stangel, Gunter U. Hoeglinger, Claus-W. Wallesch, Thomas F. Muente, Jens D. Rollnik
Summary: Passive listening to music can bring psychological and physical benefits, and preferred music has the potential to modulate brain activity of patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Hiela Lehrer, Ilil Dayan, Keren Elkayam, Adi Kfir, Uri Bierman, Lilach Front, Amiram Catz, Elena Aidinoff
Summary: This study investigated the physiological and clinical effects of Snoezelen stimulation on patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) or minimally conscious state (MCS). The results showed that Snoezelen stimulation improved communication and physiological changes in MCS patients, but had only minor physiological effects in UWS patients.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Camillo Porcaro, Idan Efim Nemirovsky, Francesco Riganello, Zahra Mansour, Antonio Cerasa, Paolo Tonin, Bobby Stojanoski, Andrea Soddu
Summary: This article reviews the importance and methods of using neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques to diagnose patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) and differentiate between Vegetative State/Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (VS/UWS) and Minimally Conscious State (MCS). By analyzing studies conducted within the last 10 years, the article summarizes the promising results achieved in improving diagnostic accuracy with these techniques and emphasizes the need to incorporate them into standard clinical practice, as well as the importance of data sharing.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christoph Helmstaedter, Thorsten Rings, Lara Buscher, Benedikt Janssen, Sara Alaeddin, Vanessa Krause, Stefan Knecht, Klaus Lehnertz
Summary: This study successfully differentiated the brain network characteristics of patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome through a combination of EEG recordings, basal stimulation, and daily behavioral assessment, and showed the short-term and potential long-term recovery effects of personalized therapy.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Baohu Liu, Xu Zhang, Lijia Wang, Yuanyuan Li, Jun Hou, Guoping Duan, Tongtong Guo, Dongyu Wu
Summary: This study investigated the role of non-linear dynamic analysis of the EEG in predicting patient outcome in UWS and MCS. The results indicated that certain cortical regions may play key roles in modulating disorders of consciousness, and connectivity patterns of affected and unaffected cortical networks were important for improvement in mGOS scores.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Cristina Daia, Cristian Scheau, Aura Spinu, Ioana Andone, Cristina Popescu, Corneliu Toader, Ana Maria Bumbea, Madalina Codruta Verenca, Gelu Onose
Summary: The study suggests that modulated neuroprotection treatment can help patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) recover more rapidly, reaching a high level of cognitive function and assisted ambulation. Improvement in cognitive and physical functioning is strongly correlated with shorter duration of UWS and higher GCS score.
Article
Pediatrics
Christiane Chadasch, Boris Kotchoubey
Summary: The study reveals that families living with a child in an Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) experience lower life satisfaction compared to families without a chronically ill child, but it is still possible for them to lead a happy life. Personal self-management skills, coping strategies, resilience, and outside social support are found to be critical factors influencing life satisfaction.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Yituo Wang, Shanshan Chen, Xiaoyu Xia, Ying Peng, Bing Wu
Summary: This study investigated the changes in functional connectivity and regional brain activity in individuals with disorders of consciousness (DOC) in different states. The findings showed decreased functional connectivity between different brain networks in vegetative-state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) patients compared to minimally conscious state (MCS) patients. Moreover, the study found reduced brain activity in the triple-network as the clinical manifestations of DOC deteriorated from MCS to VS/UWS. The left executive control network activity was also positively correlated with the recovery scale scores.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ethics
Michele Farisco, Cyriel Pennartz, Jitka Annen, Benedetta Cecconi, Kathinka Evers
Summary: This study explores the application of consciousness indicators in disorders of consciousness through observations of non-human animals and artificial intelligence. These indicators can help identify and assess residual consciousness in patients, providing a theoretical basis for operationalizing and quantifying relevant brain activity.
BMC MEDICAL ETHICS
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
Manon Carriere, Roberto Llorens, Maria Dolores Navarro, Jose Olaya, Joan Ferri, Enrique Noe
Summary: Accurately describing the behavioral signs indicating transition from unresponsive wakefulness syndrome/vegetative state to minimally conscious state or emergence from minimally conscious state after severe brain injury is crucial for prognosis. This study examined a large sample of patients with chronic disorders of consciousness and identified the behavioral signs that led to a change in diagnosis, as well as the factors influencing this transition. The study found that transition to minimally conscious state was mostly indicated by visual fixation, localization to noxious stimulation, visual pursuit, and object manipulation. Emergence from minimally conscious state was characterized by functional communication and object use. Clinicians should pay attention to the visual and motor subscales to detect behavioral recovery.
ANNALS OF PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATION MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marie M. Vitello, Martin J. Rosenfelder, Paolo Cardone, Masachika Niimi, Lina Willacker, Aurore Thibaut, Nicolas Lejeune, Steven Laureys, Andreas Bender, Olivia Gosseries
Summary: This study aims to compare the effects of stimulating the frontal and parietal areas of the brain on patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). It will assess the short- and long-term effects of rTMS on consciousness recovery and develop biomarkers of responsiveness using EEG analysis. The study will also identify the optimal brain region for stimulation and characterize the neural correlates of its action.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Enrique Noe, Joan Ferri, Jose Olaya, Maria Dolores Navarro, Myrtha O'Valle, Carolina Colomer, Belen Moliner, Camilla Ippoliti, Anny Maza, Roberto Llorens
Summary: The study investigated the neurobehavioral progress of 100 patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, revealing that 34% were able to progress to a minimally conscious state, 12% could emerge from MCS, and 10% died during the analyzed period. Transition to MCS was mainly denoted by visual signs and predicted by etiology and a specific scale score, while emergence from MCS was characterized by functional communication and object use. Predictive models for emergence from MCS and mortality were not valid in this study.
Article
Neurosciences
Rossella Spataro, Yiyan Xu, Ren Xu, Giorgio Mandala, Brendan Z. Allison, Rupert Ortner, Alexander Heilinger, Vincenzo La Bella, Christoph Guger
Summary: This study compares the repetitive assessment of consciousness using clinical behavioral evaluations and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) approaches. It finds that BCI approaches can detect command following earlier than clinical evaluations in some patients with disorders of consciousness. BCI active paradigms contribute to improving the diagnostic precision of clinical bedside assessments.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Camilla Ippoliti, Marjorie Fadeur, Christian Malherbe, Jenny De Flines, Anne-Marie Verbrugge, Olivia Gosseries, Didier Ledoux, Benoit Misset, Steven Laureys, Nicolas Paquot, Aurore Thibaut
Summary: This study evaluates the relationship between nutritional status and clinical variables in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness. The results show that most patients are well nourished and that excessive muscle activity may affect their daily calorie needs.
Article
Biology
Steven Jillings, Ekaterina Pechenkova, Elena Tomilovskaya, Ilya Rukavishnikov, Ben Jeurissen, Angelique Van Ombergen, Inna Nosikova, Alena Rumshiskaya, Liudmila Litvinova, Jitka Annen, Chloe De Laet, Catho Schoenmaekers, Jan Sijbers, Victor Petrovichev, Stefan Sunaert, Paul M. Parizel, Valentin Sinitsyn, Peter zu Eulenburg, Steven Laureys, Athena Demertzi, Floris L. Wuyts
Summary: This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the impact of prolonged microgravity on the human brain. The results showed changes in brain functional connectivity, providing insights into the adaptations and modifications occurring during spaceflight and upon return to Earth.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Aminata Bicego, Helena Cassol, Jessica Simon, Pauline Fritz, Simona Abagnale, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Steven Laureys, Charlotte Martial
Summary: This study investigated the potential personality and psychological predictors of near-death experiences (NDEs) and near-death-like experiences (NDEs-like). The results showed that the recall of NDEs-like was associated with endorsement of spiritual beliefs, while the recall of NDEs was associated with Openness and Fantasy proneness.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Rajanikant Panda, Ane Lopez-Gonzalez, Matthieu Gilson, Olivia Gosseries, Aurore Thibaut, Gianluca Frasso, Benedetta Cecconi, Anira Escrichs, Gustavo Deco, Steven Laureys, Gorka Zamora-Lopez, Jitka Annen
Summary: The study of brain's dynamic activity is helping in the clinical assessment of patients with consciousness disorders. The reduced neural propagation and responsiveness to events in patients with disorders of consciousness is related to severe reduction in glucose metabolism. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms behind consciousness disorders, combining network function with measures of brain integrity and behavior.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Correction
Critical Care Medicine
Emanuele Rezoagli, Matteo Petrosino, Paola Rebora, David Menon, Stefania Mondello, D. James Cooper, Andrew I. R. Maas, Eveline J. A. Wiegers, Stefania Galimberti, Giuseppe Citerio, Cecilia Ackerlund, Krisztina Amrein, Nada Andelic, Lasse Andreassen, Audny Anke, Gerard Audibert, Philippe Azouvi, Maria Luisa Azzolini, Ronald Bartels, Ronny Beer, Bo-Michael Bellander, Habib Benali, Maurizio Berardino, Luigi Beretta, Erta Beqiri, Morten Blaabjerg, Stine Borgen Lund, Camilla Brorsson, Andras M. Buki, Manuel Cabeleira, Alessio Caccioppola, Emiliana Calappi, Maria Rosa Calvi, Peter Cameron, Guillermo Carbayo Lozano, Marco Carbonara, Ana D. Castano-Leon, Simona Cavallo, Giorgio Chevallard, Arturo Chieregato, Hans Clusmann, Mark Steven Coburn, Jonathan Coles, Jamie Cooper, Marta Correia, Endre Czeiter, Marek Czosnyka, Claire Dahyot-Fizelier, Paul Dark, Veronique Keyser, Vincent Degos, Francesco Della Corte, Hugo Boogert, Bart Depreitere, Dula Dilvesi, Abhishek Dixit, Jens Dreier, Guy-Loup Duliere, Ari Ercole, Erzsebet Ezer, Martin Fabricius, Kelly Foks, Shirin A. Frisvold, Alex Furmanov, Damien Galanaud, Dashiell Gantner, Alexandre Ghuysen, Lelde Giga, Jagos Golubovic, Pedro Gomez, Benjamin J. Gravesteijn, Francesca Grossi, Deepak Gupta, Iain Haitsma, Raimund G. Helbok, Eirik Helseth, Jilske Huijben, Peter Hutchinson, Stefan Jankowski, Faye Johnson, Mladen Karan, Angelos Kolias, Daniel Kondziella, Evgenios Kornaropoulos, Lars-Owe Koskinen, Noemi Kovacs, Ana Kowark, Alfonso Lagares, Steven Laureys, Aurelie Lejeune, Fiona Lecky, Didier Ledoux, Roger Lightfoot, Hester Lingsma, Alex Manara, Hugues Marechal, Costanza Martino, Julia Mattern, Catherine McMahon, Tomas Menovsky, Benoit Misset, Visakh Muraleedharan, Lynnette Murray, Ancuta Negru, David Nelson, Virginia Newcombe, Jozsef Nyiradi, Fabrizio Ortolano, Jean-Francois Payen, Vincent Perlbarg, Paolo P. Persona, Wilco Peul, Anna Piippo-Karjalainen, Horia Ples, Inigo Pomposo, Jussi Posti, Louis Puybasset, Andreea Radoi, Arminas Ragauskas, Rahul Raj, Jonathan Rhodes, Sophie Richter, Saulius Rocka, Cecilie Roe, Olav Roise, Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Christina Rosenlund, Guy Rosenthal, Rolf Rossaint, Sandra Rossi, Juan Sahuquillo, Oliver Sakowitz, Renan Sanchez-Porras, Oddrun Sandrod, Kari Schirmer-Mikalsen, Rico Frederik W. Schou, Charlie Sewalt, Peter Smielewski, Abayomi Sorinola, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ewout Steyerberg, Nino Stocchetti, Nina Sundstroem, Riikka Takala, Viktoria Tamas, Tomas Tamosuitis, Olli Tenovuo, Matt Thomas, Dick Tibboel, Christos Tolias, Tony Trapani, Cristina Maria Tudora, Andreas Unterberg, Peter Vajkoczy, Egils A. Valeinis, Shirley Vallance, Zoltan Vamos, Gregory Steen, T. J. M. van Dijck Jeroen, Thomas Essen, Roel Wijk, Alessia Vargiolu, Emmanuel Vega, Anne Vik, Rimantas Vilcinis, Victor Volovici, Peter Vulekovic, Eveline A. Wiegers, Guy Williams, Stefan Winzeck, Stefan Wolf, Alexander Younsi, Frederick Zeiler, Agate Ziverte, Tommaso V. Zoerle, Russel Gruen, Lynette Murray, Dinesh Varma, Christopher MacIsaac, Andrea Jordan
INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Charlotte Martial, Helena Cassol, Mel Slater, Pierre Bourdin, Armand Mensen, Ramon Oliva, Steven Laureys, Pablo Nunez
Summary: Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are subjective experiences of seeing one's own body and the environment from a location outside the physical body. They can be induced using technology like virtual reality, and in this experiment, virtual OBE-like experiences were induced in participants using a multisensory method of virtual embodiment. EEG analysis revealed an increase in delta and a decrease in alpha power, as well as a reduction in theta complexity and an increase in beta-2 connectivity, suggesting the involvement of these brain activities in the subjective experience of OBEs.
JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Rajanikant Panda, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Andrea Piarulli, Jitka Annen, Athena Demertzi, Naji Alnagger, Srivas Chennu, Steven Laureys, Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville, Olivia Gosseries
Summary: This study investigates altered brain dynamics during hypnosis, using high-density EEG measurements. The results show modified connectivity in the brain, with increased connectivity between frontal and parietal regions and decreased connectivity in alpha and beta-2 bands. These changes suggest a modification in the internal and external awareness brain networks and may reflect more efficient cognitive-processing and lower incidences of mind-wandering during hypnosis.
JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Naji Alnagger, Paolo Cardone, Charlotte Martial, Steven Laureys, Jitka Annen, Olivia Gosseries
Summary: Patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) have varying levels of wakefulness and awareness due to severe brain injury. Standardised behavioural examinations are commonly used to assess these patients, but they are often inaccurate. Neuroimaging has provided insights into the neural alterations associated with DoC, and has led to the development of neuroimaging paradigms for clinical assessment. However, consciousness cannot be solely attributed to the activation of specific brain areas, but rather requires the preservation of thalamo-cortical circuits and connectivity between different brain networks. Computational methodologies applied to DoC research can enhance our understanding and inform clinical practice.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fangfang Shou, Jing Wang, Steven Laureys, Lijuan Cheng, Wangshan Huang, Haibo Di
Summary: The aim of this study is to develop a sensitive, professional, and simple telephone follow-up scale for patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) to track their prognosis, especially the recovery of consciousness. Expert consultation is used to construct and validate the scale on-site. Currently, there is a strong demand for portable, accurate, and easily operated scales to improve the rehabilitation data of prolonged DoC patients and provide more basis for their treatment and rehabilitation.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Business
Frederic Ooms, Jitka Annen, Rajanikant Panda, Paul Meunier, Luaba Tshibanda, Steven Laureys, Jeffrey M. M. Pollack, Bernard Surlemont
Summary: Despite the limited use of functional brain imaging (fMRI) in entrepreneurship research, this study showcases the application of resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) in neuroentrepreneurship for the first time. Unlike traditional task-based fMRI, rs-fMRI explores the brain in the absence of cognitive tasks or stimulus presentation, providing valuable insights into the entrepreneurial mind. By utilizing seed-based correlation analysis, the study reveals increased functional connectivity between the insula and anterior prefrontal cortex in habitual entrepreneurs compared to managers, suggesting potential benefits for flexible behavior. This exemplar expands our understanding of the brain in entrepreneurship and highlights the need for further research and challenges to incorporate rs-fMRI into neuroentrepreneurship.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Marie M. Vitello, Marie-Michele Briand, Didier Ledoux, Jitka Annen, Riem El Tahry, Steven Laureys, Didier Martin, Olivia Gosseries, Aurore Thibaut
Summary: This clinical trial aims to evaluate the therapeutic clinical effects of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), investigate the neural mechanisms underlying its effects, assess the feasibility and safety of the procedure, define the phenotype of clinical responders, and assess the long-term efficacy of taVNS in terms of functional outcomes. The study will be a prospective parallel randomized controlled double-blind trial, with 44 early post-injury patients randomly receiving either active taVNS or sham stimulation for 5 days. Behavioral and neurophysiological measures will be collected at baseline and the end of the treatment period to analyze changes at the group and individual levels. The results will contribute to understanding the role of taVNS and provide potential therapeutic strategies for DoC patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Aurore Thibaut, Felipe Fregni, Anna Estraneo, Salvatore Fiorenza, Enrique Noe, Roberto Llorens, Joan Ferri, Rita Formisano, Giovanni Morone, Andreas Bender, Martin Rosenfelder, Gianfranco Lamberti, Ekaterina Kodratyeva, Sergey Kondratyev, Liudmila Legostaeva, Natalia Suponeva, Carmen Krewer, Friedemann Mueller, Nadia Dardenne, Haroun Jedidi, Steven Laureys, Olivia Gosseries, Nicolas Lejeune, Geraldine Martens
Summary: This study found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) does not enhance patients' recovery during rehabilitation. However, the response to the treatment seems to be influenced by patients' diagnosis and aetiology.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Brian L. Edlow, Varina L. Boerwinkle, Jitka Annen, Melanie Boly, Olivia Gosseries, Steven Laureys, Pratik Mukherjee, Louis Puybasset, Robert D. Stevens, Zachary D. Threlkeld, Virginia F. J. Newcombe, Davinia Fernandez-Espejo, Curing Coma Campaign
Summary: Advances in neuroimaging have provided insights into the mechanisms causing disorders of consciousness in patients with severe brain injuries. Neuroimaging techniques have improved diagnosis and prognosis, leading to endorsement of fMRI for clinical evaluation. However, standardized reporting is needed for research and collaboration.
NEUROCRITICAL CARE
(2023)
Letter
Rehabilitation
Anqi Wang, Lingxiu Sun, Lijuan Cheng, Nantu Hu, Yan Chen, Leandro R. D. Sanz, Olivia Gosseries, Steven Laureys, Charlotte Martial, Haibo Di, Aurore Thibaut
ANNALS OF PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATION MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Leandro R. D. Sanz, Steven Laureys, Olivia Gosseries
Summary: Understanding the mechanisms of human consciousness is crucial in improving the prognosis and treatment of severely brain-injured patients. Recent advances in neuroscience have allowed scientists to better understand consciousness disorders and have led to significant changes in clinical practice. This review examines the impact of consciousness neurosciences on the management of severe brain injury and highlights the need for a multimodal framework based on precision medicine and evidence-based decisions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)