Differential diagnosis in the vegetative and minimally conscious states is notoriously difficult. A new report compares the diagnostic accuracy of two neuroimaging methods, using bedside behavioural assessment as a reference. The results highlight the many theoretical and methodological challenges in studying this patient group.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Indicators and criteria of consciousness: ethical implications for the care of behaviourally unresponsive patients
BMC Medical Ethics Open Access 21 March 2022
-
Electrophysiological evidence of preserved hearing at the end of life
Scientific Reports Open Access 25 June 2020
-
Brain imaging reveals covert consciousness during behavioral unresponsiveness induced by propofol
Scientific Reports Open Access 04 September 2018
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Stender, J. et al. Diagnostic precision of PET imaging and functional MRI in disorders of consciousness: a clinical validation study. Lancet http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60042-8.
Jennett, B. & Plum, F. Persistent vegetative state after brain damage. A syndrome in search of a name. Lancet 1, 734–737 (1972).
Giacino, J. T., Fins, J. J., Laureys, S. & Schiff, N. D. Disorders of consciousness after acquired brain injury: the state of the science. Nat. Rev. Neurol. 10, 99–114 (2014).
Owen, A. M. et al. Detecting awareness in the vegetative state. Science 313, 1402 (2006).
Monti, M. M. et al. Willful modulation of brain activity and communication in disorders of consciousness. N. Engl. J. Med. 362, 579–589 (2010).
Fernandez-Espejo, D. & Owen, A. M. Detecting awareness after severe brain injury. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 14, 801–809 (2013).
Schnakers, C. et al. A French validation study of the Coma Recovery Scale-R (CRS-R). Brain Inj. 22, 786–792 (2008).
Løvstad, M. et al. Reliability and diagnostic characteristics of the JFK coma recovery scale-revised: exploring the influence of rater's level of experience. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 25, 349–556 (2010).
Giacino, J. T. et al. The JFK Coma Recovery Scale-Revised: measurement characteristics and diagnostic utility. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 85, 2020–2029 (2004).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Owen, A. Diagnostic accuracy of brain imaging in the vegetative state. Nat Rev Neurol 10, 370–371 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2014.102
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2014.102
This article is cited by
-
Indicators and criteria of consciousness: ethical implications for the care of behaviourally unresponsive patients
BMC Medical Ethics (2022)
-
Electrophysiological evidence of preserved hearing at the end of life
Scientific Reports (2020)
-
Brain imaging reveals covert consciousness during behavioral unresponsiveness induced by propofol
Scientific Reports (2018)
-
White matter integrity correlates with residual consciousness in patients with severe brain injury
Brain Imaging and Behavior (2018)
