Assessing consciousness and cognition in disorders of consciousness

Issue title: Disorders of Consciousness: A Field in Flux

Guest editors: Caroline Schnakers and Nathan D. Zasler

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Schnakers, Caroline

Affiliations: Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, 255 E. Bonita Avenue, Pomona, CA 91769, USA. Tel.: +1 909 596 7733 (ext. 3038); E-mail: cschnakers@casacolina.org

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: Brain injury, consciousness, coma, vegetative state, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, minimally conscious state, behavioral assessment

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-230140

Journal: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 11-21, 2024