[The DoC-feeling scale, a paramedical assessment tool improving the diagnostic accuracy of the state of consciousness of non-communicative patients]. / L'échelle DoC-feeling, un outil d'évaluation paramédical améliorant la précision diagnostique de l'état de conscience des patients non communicants.

The Neurological Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital cares for patients with severe brain injuries, which can lead to acute or chronic disorders of consciousness. To assess the patient's state of consciousness, the team relies on precise clinical examination. This article presents the assessment tools used to establish the patient's prognosis.

Dissociations between spontaneous electroencephalographic features and the perturbational complexity index in the minimally conscious state.

The analysis of spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) is a cornerstone in the assessment of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). Although preserved EEG patterns are highly suggestive of consciousness even in unresponsive patients, moderately or severely abnormal patterns are difficult to interpret. Indeed, growing evidence shows that consciousness can be present despite either large delta or reduced alpha activity in spontaneous EEG. Quantifying the complexity of EEG responses to direct cortical perturbations (perturbational complexity index [PCI]) may complement the observational approach and provide a reliable assessment of consciousness even when spontaneous EEG features are inconclusive. To seek empirical evidence of this hypothesis, we compared PCI with EEG spectral measures in the same population of minimally conscious state (MCS) patients (n = 40) hospitalized in rehabilitation facilities. We found a remarkable variability in spontaneous EEG features across MCS patients as compared with healthy controls: in particular, a pattern of predominant delta and highly reduced alpha power-more often observed in vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) patients-was found in a non-negligible number of MCS patients. Conversely, PCI values invariably fell above an externally validated empirical cutoff for consciousness in all MCS patients, consistent with the presence of clearly discernible, albeit fleeting, behavioural signs of awareness. These results confirm that, in some MCS patients, spontaneous EEG rhythms may be inconclusive about the actual capacity for consciousness and suggest that a perturbational approach can effectively compensate for this pitfall with practical implications for the individual patient's stratification and tailored rehabilitation.

Family caregivers improve the diagnostic accuracy of disorders of consciousness: from remote to near-bed auditory stimulation.

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers (FC) contribute to reducing the misdiagnosis rate in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). Unfortunately, the recent pandemic of COVID-19 imposed drastic restrictions that limited the access of FC to the sensory/cognitive stimulation protocols. Telemedicine approaches have been implemented to avoid discontinuity in care pathways and to ensure caregivers involvement in rehabilitation programs. AIM: The aim was to investigate whether the presence of FC remotely connected might help clinicians in eliciting higher cortically mediated behavioral responses in patients with DOC. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Post-acute Unit of Neurorehabilitation. POPULATION: DOC due to severe brain injury. METHODS: Consecutive patients with DOC were assessed by means of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) by two expert examiners. Each patient underwent to five assessments in two weeks in three different conditions: 1) by the examiner only (standard); 2) with the verbal stimulation given by the FC remotely connected by PC tablet (caregiver in remote); and 3) with the verbal stimulation given by the FC physically present (caregiver in presence). RESULTS: Thirty patients with DOC (VS/UWS=10; MCS=20; mean age: 51, range: 21-79; vascular: 16; anoxic: 6; TBI=8) and their FC were enrolled. Higher total scores of CRS-R were recorded both in "caregiver in remote" and in "caregiver in presence" than in standard condition (standard vs. remote, Z=2.942, P=0.003; standard vs. presence, Z=3.736, P<0.001). Furthermore, the administration of the CRS-R with a FC, elicited higher levels of behavioral responses in MCS patients, than CRS-R performed in standard condition. In particular, 2 patients out of 30 (6.66%) showed higher scores and better diagnosis when the CRS-R was administered with FC in remote. Similarly, 5 out of 30 patients (16.66%) showed better diagnoses when the CRS-R was administered with FC in presence. Five patients changed diagnosis between standard and presence conditions (3 MCS- were diagnosed as MCS+; 2 MCS+ were diagnosed as conscious). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings add new evidence regarding the beneficial role of family members in the diagnosis of DOC, even mediated by telemedicine approach. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: In future guidelines, FC should have an active and supporting role in the diagnostic and rehabilitative process of DOC.

Diagnostic value of PET imaging in clinically unresponsive patients.

Rapid advancements in the critical care management of acute brain injuries have facilitated the survival of numerous patients who may have otherwise succumbed to their injuries. The probability of conscious recovery hinges on the extent of structural brain damage and the level of metabolic and functional cerebral impairment, which remain challenging to assess via laboratory, clinical, or functional tests. Current research settings and guidelines highlight the potential value of fluorodeoxyglucose-PET (FDG-PET) for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, emphasizing its capacity to consistently illustrate a metabolic reduction in cerebral glucose uptake across various disorders of consciousness. Crucially, FDG-PET might be a pivotal tool for differentiating between patients in the minimally conscious state and those in the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, a persistent clinical challenge. In patients with disorders of consciousness, PET offers utility in evaluating the degree and spread of functional disruption, as well as identifying irreversible neural damage. Further, studies that capture responses to external stimuli can shed light on residual or revived brain functioning. Nevertheless, the validity of these findings in predicting clinical outcomes calls for additional long-term studies with larger patient cohorts suffering from consciousness impairment. Misdiagnosis of conscious illnesses during bedside clinical assessments remains a significant concern. Based on the clinical research settings, current clinical guidelines recommend PET for diagnostic and/or prognostic purposes. This review article discusses the clinical categories of conscious disorders and the diagnostic and prognostic value of PET imaging in clinically unresponsive patients, considering the known limitations of PET imaging in such contexts.

Reliability and validation of the Japanese version of the coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R).

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). METHODS: Subjects included 59 patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) due to acquired brain injury. To validate test-retest reliability, Evaluator A assessed the CRS-R twice on the same day (A1, A2). To examine inter-rater reliability, Evaluators A (A2) and B (B) assessed the CRS-R without a time interval. To test concurrent validity, Evaluator A (A1) assessed the CRS-R, Japan Coma Scale (JCS), and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) consecutively. To validate diagnostic accuracy, we evaluated the degree of agreement between A1 and A2 and between A2 and B in their diagnosis of DOC by CRS-R. RESULTS: The test-retest (ρ = 0.92) and inter- (ρ = 0.98) reliability of CRS-R were excellent" and Concurrent validity of CRS-R with JCS (ρ = -0.82) and GCS (ρ = 0.92) were high. Results of DOC diagnosis were consistent for 48/59 cases (κ = 0.82) for A1 and A2 and for 54/59 cases (κ = 0.92) for A2 and B. CONLCUSION: The Japanese version of the CRS-R may be as reliable and valid as the original English and other language versions.

Neuro-orthopaedic assessment and management in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness: A review.

BACKGROUND: Following a severe acquired brain injury, neuro-orthopaedic disorders are commonplace. While these disorders can impact patients' functional recovery and quality of life, little is known regarding the assessment, management and treatment of neuro-orthopaedic disorders in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). OBJECTIVE: To describe neuro-orthopaedic disorders in the context of DoC and provide insights on their management and treatment. METHODS: A review of the literature was conducted focusing on neuro-orthopaedic disorders in patients with prolonged DoC. RESULTS: Few studies have investigated the prevalence of spastic paresis in patients with prolonged DoC, which is extremely high, as well as its correlation with pain. Pilot studies exploring the effects of pharmacological treatments and physical therapy show encouraging results yet have limited efficacy. Other neuro-orthopaedic disorders, such as heterotopic ossification, are still poorly investigated. CONCLUSION: The literature of neuro-orthopaedic disorders in patients with prolonged DoC remains scarce, mainly focusing on spastic paresis. We recommend treating neuro-orthopaedic disorders in their early phases to prevent complications such as pain and improve patients' recovery. Additionally, this approach could enhance patients' ability to behaviourally demonstrate signs of consciousness, especially in the context of covert awareness.

Which information derived from the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised provides the most reliable prediction of clinical diagnosis and recovery of consciousness? A comparative study using machine learning techniques.

BACKGROUND: The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) is the most recommended clinical tool to examine the neurobehavioral condition of individuals with disorders of consciousness (DOCs). Different studies have investigated the prognostic value of the information provided by the conventional administration of the scale, while other measures derived from the scale have been proposed to improve the prognosis of DOCs. However, the heterogeneity of the data used in the different studies prevents a reliable comparison of the identified predictors and measures. AIM: This study investigates which information derived from the CRS-R provides the most reliable prediction of both the clinical diagnosis and recovery of consciousness at the discharge of a long-term neurorehabilitation program. DESIGN: Retrospective observational multisite study. SETTING: The enrollment was performed in three neurorehabilitation facilities of the same hospital network. POPULATION: A total of 171 individuals with DOCs admitted to an inpatient neurorehabilitation program for a minimum of 3 months were enrolled. METHODS: Machine learning classifiers were trained to predict the clinical diagnosis and recovery of consciousness at discharge using clinical confounders and different metrics extracted from the CRS-R scale. RESULTS: Results showed that the neurobehavioral state at discharge was predicted with acceptable and comparable predictive value with all the indices and measures derived from the CRS-R, but for the clinical diagnosis and the Consciousness Domain Index, and the recovery of consciousness was predicted with higher accuracy and similarly by all the investigated measures, with the exception of initial clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Interestingly, the total score in the CRS-R and, especially, the total score in its subscales provided the best overall results, in contrast to the clinical diagnosis, which could indicate that a comprehensive measure of the clinical diagnosis rather than the condition of the individuals could provide a more reliable prediction of the neurobehavioral progress of individuals with prolonged DOC. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The results of this work have important implications in clinical practice, offering a more accurate prognosis of patients and thus giving the possibility to personalize and optimize the rehabilitation plan of patients with DoC using low-cost and easily collectable information.

Prognosis and enhancement of recovery in disorders of consciousness.

Disorders of consciousness after severe brain injury encompass conditions of coma, vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, and minimally conscious state. DoC clinical presentation pose perplexing challenges to medical professionals, researchers, and families alike. The outcome is uncertain in the first weeks to months after a brain injury, with families and medical providers often making important decisions that require certainty. Prognostication for individuals with these conditions has been the subject of intense scientific investigation that continues to strive for valid prognostic indicators and algorithms for predicting recovery of consciousness. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of the current clinical landscape surrounding prognosis and optimizing recovery in DoC and the current and future research that could improve prognostic accuracy after severe brain injury. Improved understanding of these factors will aid healthcare professionals in providing optimal care, fostering hope, and advocating for ethical practices in the management of individuals with DoC.

Ethical issues of nosology in disorders of consciousness.

The current classification scheme for severe disorders of consciousness (DoC) has several shortcomings. First, there is no consensus on how to incorporate patients with covert consciousness. Second, there is a mismatch between the definitions of severe DoC, based on consciousness, and the diagnosis of these same DoC, which is based on observable motoric responsiveness. Third, current categories are grouped into large heterogeneous syndromes which share phenotype, but do not incorporate underlying pathophysiology. Here we discuss several ethical issues pertaining to the current nosology of severe DoC. We conclude by proposing a revised nosology which addresses these shortcomings.

Medicolegal issues and disorders of consciousness.

BACKGROUND: The tasks and responsibilities that come with clinician involvement in medicolegal proceedings can be daunting and particularly so in challenging areas such as provision of medicolegal opinions in cases involving disorders of consciousness (DoC). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this narrative review was to provide education and advice to healthcare practitioners who by choice or circumstance are asked and/or required to provide medicolegal opinions in cases involving patients with DoC. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PubMed Central and MedlinePlus for articles dealing with clinician involvement in medicolegal cases involving persons with DoC. The information provided also integrates the authors' nearly 40 years of clinical experience, brain injury medicine practice and "trials and tribulations" associated with medicolegal involvement in such cases. RESULTS: The literature was found to be replete with articles on brain death and withdrawal/withholding of care (which are not the focus of this review). The extant medical literature in brain injury medicine on the other hand is currently lacking in practical information for clinicians working "in the trenches" regarding the challenges and caveats of medicolegal involvement in such cases. CONCLUSION: This review provides the reader with a big picture overview of the most pertinent medicolegal topics inherent in clinical work with patients with DOC including pertinent nomenclature, caveats regarding forensic consultation including independent medical examinations, testimony tips, discussion of life expectancy/median survival concepts, prognostication in a medicolegal context, documentation and record keeping as well as some of the specific challenges pertinent to these types of brain injury cases that are not per se relevant in less severe injuries.

Peripheral blood BDNF and soluble CAM proteins as possible markers of prolonged disorders of consciousness: a pilot study.

Although clinical examination still represents the gold standard for the differential diagnosis of prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDoC), the introduction of innovative markers is essential for diagnosis and prognosis, due to the problem of covert cognition. We evaluated the brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein (BDNF) and the soluble cell adhesion molecules proteins (CAMs) in a cohort of prolonged disorders of consciousness patients to identify a possible application in the clinical context. Furthermore, peripheral blood determinations were correlated with imaging parameters such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cranial standardized uptake value (cSUV), electroencephalography (EEG) data and clinical setting. Our results, although preliminary, identify BDNF as a possible blood marker for the diagnosis of pDoC (p value 0.001), the soluble CAMs proteins CD44, Vcam-1, E-selectin (p value < 0.01) and Icam-3 (p value < 0.05) showed a higher peripheral blood value in pDoC compared with control. Finally, soluble Ncam protein could find useful applications in the clinical evolution of the pDoC, showing high levels in the MCS and EMCS subgroups (p value < 0. 001) compared to VS/UWS.

Pediatric disorders of consciousness: Considerations, controversies, and caveats.

Pediatric disorders of consciousness (PedDOC) encompass conditions that may occur following very severe traumatic or other forms of acquired brain injury sustained during childhood. As in adults, PedDOC is described as a disturbance of awareness and/or responsiveness. PedDOC is a complex condition that requires specialized care, infrastructures, and technologies. PedDOC poses many challenges to healthcare providers and caregivers during recovery and throughout development. In this commentary, we intend to highlight some considerations, controversies, and caveats on the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of PedDOC.

Assessing consciousness and cognition in disorders of consciousness.

Detecting willful cognition in these patients is known to be challenging due to the patients' motor disabilities and high vigilance fluctuations but also due to the lack of expertise and use of adequate tools to assess these patients in specific settings. This review will discuss the main disorders of consciousness after severe brain injury, how to assess consciousness and cognition in these patients, as well as the challenges and tools available to overcome these challenges and reach an accurate diagnosis.

Central autonomic network and early prognosis in patients with disorders of consciousness.

The central autonomic network (CAN) plays a crucial role in modulating the autonomic nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a valuable marker for assessing CAN function in disorders of consciousness (DOC) patients. We used HRV analysis for early prognosis in 58 DOC patients enrolled within ten days of hospitalization. They underwent a five-minute electrocardiogram during baseline and acoustic/visual stimulation. The coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R) was used to define the patient's consciousness level and categorize the good/bad outcome at three months. The high-frequency Power Spectrum Density and the standard deviation of normal-to-normal peaks in baseline, the sample entropy during the stimulation, and the time from injury features were used in the support vector machine analysis (SVM) for outcome prediction. The SVM predicted the patients' outcome with an accuracy of 96% in the training test and 100% in the validation test, underscoring its potential to provide crucial clinical information about prognosis.

A predictive model for awakening in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness after craniocerebral injury.

This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to predict awakening at 1 year in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDOC). We retrospectively analyzed the data of 381 patients with pDOC at 2 centers. The data were randomly divided into training and validation sets using a ratio of 6:4. For the training set, univariate and multivariate logical regression analyses were used to identify the predictive variables. Receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and a decision curve analysis were utilized to assess the predictive accuracy, discriminative ability, and clinical utility of the model, respectively. The final model included age, Glasgow Coma Scale score, serum albumin level, and computed tomography midline shift, all of which had a significant effect on awakening after pDOC. For the 1-year awakening in the training set, the model had good discriminative power, with an area under the curve of 0.733 (95% confidence interval: 0.667-0.789). For the validation set, the area under the curve for 1-year awakening was 0.721 (95% confidence interval: 0.617-0.826). Model performance was good for both the training and validation sets according to calibration plots and decision curve analysis. We developed a precise, effective nomogram to assist clinicians in better assessing patients' outcomes, guiding clinical judgment, and personalizing the therapeutic process.

Covert consciousness.

Covert consciousness is a state of residual awareness following severe brain injury or neurological disorder that evades routine bedside behavioral detection. Patients with covert consciousness have preserved awareness but are incapable of self-expression through ordinary means of behavior or communication. Growing recognition of the limitations of bedside neurobehavioral examination in reliably detecting consciousness, along with advances in neurotechnologies capable of detecting brain states or subtle signs indicative of consciousness not discernible by routine examination, carry promise to transform approaches to classifying, diagnosing, prognosticating and treating disorders of consciousness. Here we describe and critically evaluate the evolving clinical category of covert consciousness, including approaches to its diagnosis through neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and novel behavioral tools, its prognostic relevance, and open questions pertaining to optimal clinical management of patients with covert consciousness recovering from severe brain injury.

Common Data Elements for Disorders of Consciousness: Recommendations from the Working Group in the Pediatric Population.

BACKGROUND: The fundamental gap obstructing forward progress of evidenced-based care in pediatric and neonatal disorders of consciousness (DoC) is the lack of defining consensus-based terminology to perform comparative research. This lack of shared nomenclature in pediatric DoC stems from the inherently recursive dilemma of the inability to reliably measure consciousness in the very young. However, recent advancements in validated clinical examinations and technologically sophisticated biomarkers of brain activity linked to future abilities are unlocking this previously formidable challenge to understanding the DoC in the developing brain. METHODS: To address this need, the first of its kind international convergence of an interdisciplinary team of pediatric DoC experts was organized by the Neurocritical Care Society's Curing Coma Campaign. The multidisciplinary panel of pediatric DoC experts proposed pediatric-tailored common data elements (CDEs) covering each of the CDE working groups including behavioral phenotyping, biospecimens, electrophysiology, family and goals of care, neuroimaging, outcome and endpoints, physiology and big Data, therapies, and pediatrics. RESULTS: We report the working groups' pediatric-focused DoC CDE recommendations and disseminate CDEs to be used in studies of pediatric patients with DoC. CONCLUSIONS: The CDEs recommended support the vision of progressing collaborative and successful internationally collaborative pediatric coma research.

International survey on the implementation of the European and American guidelines on disorders of consciousness.

Diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic procedures for patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDoCs) vary significantly across countries and clinical settings, likely due to organizational factors (e.g., research vs. non-academic hospitals), expertise and availability of resources (e.g., financial and human). Two international guidelines, one from the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and one from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in collaboration with the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), were developed to facilitate consistent practice among professionals working with this challenging patient population. While the recommendations of both guidelines agree in principle, it remains an open issue how to implement them into clinical practice in the care pathway for patients with pDoCs. We conducted an online survey to explore health professional clinical practices related to the management of patients with pDoCs, and compare said practices with selected recommendations from both the guidelines. The survey revealed that while some recommendations are being followed, others are not and/or may require more honing/specificity to enhance their clinical utility. Particular attention should be given to the implementation of a multimodal assessment of residual consciousness, to the detection and treatment of pain, and to the impact of restrictions imposed by COVID-19 pandemics on the involvement of patients' families/representatives.