Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026
07:37
Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: August 1, 2017
Detecting residual cognitive function in disorders of consciousness
1Cambridge Impaired Consciousness Research Group, Academic Neurosurgery and Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery
|January 4, 2011
Summary
Misdiagnosis in disorders of consciousness is common. Objective neuroimaging techniques can detect residual cognitive function, improving diagnostic accuracy for patients with disorders of consciousness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Clinical audits indicate up to 40% of patients with disorders of consciousness may be misdiagnosed.
- Diagnosis relies heavily on subjective behavioral assessments, potentially missing residual awareness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest neuroimaging findings for assessing disorders of consciousness.
- To discuss the limitations and future developments for integrating neuroimaging into clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- Exploration of objective neuroimaging methods like positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Utilizing non-motor and non-verbal paradigms to assess residual cognitive function.
Main Results:
- Neuroimaging can detect cognitive functions such as visual discrimination, speech comprehension, and response to command in behaviorally non-responsive patients.
- Identified residual cognitive function in some patients presumed vegetative based on standard assessments.
Conclusions:
- Functional neuroimaging is a valuable addition to the clinical assessment of disorders of consciousness.
- Further developments are needed before neuroimaging becomes a standard diagnostic tool.
