[Outcomes of a Transdisciplinary Rehabilitation Program for Patients with Consciousness Disorders (2006-2022,...

After suffering brain damage with altered consciousness, clinically stable patients are referred to rehabilitation programs. The objective of this study is to describe the results of a transdisciplinary multisensory stimulation program in adults with altered consciousness admitted to a rehabilitation center in Argentina between 2006 and 2022.

A retrospective case series study was conducted that included 178 patients who completed the multisensory stimulation program. Consciousness was assessed with the Coma Recovery Scale – Revised (CRS-R), functional outcome with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and disability with the Disability Rating Scale (DRS).

The majority of patients (68%) were men with a diagnosis of unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (RSVS). The median time of injury to admission was 77 days, and the average length of stay was 127 days. The median CRS-R at admission was 6 and 10 at discharge (p = 0.01). The highest percentage (61.8%) of emergence was in traumatic injuries. Patients who emerged showed a significant functional improvement, with a median FIM = 44 and DRS = 11. The stay was significantly shorter in those who emerged (70 vs. 163 days; p = 0.001).

These results highlight the benefit of a transdisciplinary multisensory stimulation program to improve diagnostic evaluation and promote recovery of consciousness in patients with severe brain injury.