| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3043030 | Clinical Neurophysiology | 2013 | 8 Pages |
ObjectiveIn patients suffering from Disorders of Consciousness (DOC) electrophysiological recordings at bedside could serve as a complimentary and economical tool to improve diagnosis. We utilized a motor observation and imagination paradigm to gain new insights on preserved cognitive processing in DOC.MethodsEEG brain oscillations were analyzed in 10 VS/UWS (Vegetative State/Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome) patients and 7 MCS (Minimally Conscious State) patients and 21 controls during observation and imagination of a grasping movement and group statistics were conducted.ResultsWhile control subjects showed a typical desynchronization at 8–15 Hz during observation of a movement, MCS patients presented an analogue response at 8–10 Hz, but exhibited a synchronization at 12–15 Hz. The VS group did not show a systematic response. Imagery-related activation was only sustained for 1500 ms even in control subjects, therefore, limiting conclusions regarding the ability to follow an instruction. Furthermore, a clinically diagnosed VS patient exhibited EEG responses indicative for MCS.ConclusionResults indicate that MCS patients are still able to process an observed motor behavior on a basic sensory and perhaps even pre-motoric level, but seem not to be capable of “mirroring” the movement like healthy participants.Significance“Real-world” tasks as presented here carry the potential to identify residual cognitive functioning in DOC patients and may ultimately help to lower misdiagnosis rates.
► Motor observation and imagery in 17 severely brain injured patients and 21 controls were studied. ► EEG was recorded and time–frequency analyzed in frequencies between 4 and 15 Hz. ► Minimally conscious patients showed preserved “mirroring”-related spectral changes in the theta, lower alpha and lower beta frequency band.
