Sensorimotor therapy: its effect on electroencephalograms of acute comatose patients

This study investigated the effect of sensorimotor therapy on cortical activity of acute comatose patients. Frequency changes in delta, theta, and alpha bandwidths taken before and after sensorimotor therapy of three comatose patients were quantified by Compressed Spectral Array and compared to similarly measured changes before and after nontreatment sessions. The two therapy sessions per day consisted of 30 minutes of selected sensory stimulation with requested or elicited motor responses. Two nontreatment sessions daily consisted of 30 minutes of various types of stimulation or rest. Each patient served as an independent control. Results of statistical analyses indicated a differential response to treatment by cerebral hemisphere and by bandwidth in all three subjects, with significant change seen in the more damaged hemisphere and in frequency coinciding with a more alert neurologic state. Results support the hypothesis that sensorimotor therapy has a significantly greater effect on cortical activity of a comatose patient than does passive stimulation.