Recovery of cortical effective connectivity and recovery of consciousness in vegetative patients

• Published in: Brain (London, England : 1878) Vol. 135; no. 4; pp. 1308 - 1320
• Main Authors: Rosanova, Mario, Gosseries, Olivia, Casarotto, Silvia, Boly, Mélanie, Casali, Adenauer G., Bruno, Marie-Aurélie, Mariotti, Maurizio, Boveroux, Pierre, Tononi, Giulio, Laureys, Steven, Massimini, Marcello
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Brain injury; Brain Mapping; Brain Waves - physiology; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology; Communication; Consciousness; Consciousness - physiology; EEG; Electroencephalography; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Humans; Language; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neural networks; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neuroimaging; Neurology; Original; Persistent Vegetative State - pathology; Persistent Vegetative State - physiopathology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Recovery of Function - physiology; Sensory neurons; Spectrum Analysis; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Coma; Human; Cerebral cortex; Nervous system diseases; Consciousness impairment; EEG; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Electroencephalography; Recovery; Encephalon; minimally conscious state; TMS; Neurological disorder

Patients surviving severe brain injury may regain consciousness without recovering their ability to understand, move and communicate. Recently, electrophysiological and neuroimaging approaches, employing simple sensory stimulations or verbal commands, have proven useful in detecting higher order pro...