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Wang J, Lai Q, Han J, Qin P, Wu H. Neuroimaging biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with disorders of consciousness. Brain Res 2024; 1843:149133. [PMID: 39084451 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
The progress in neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques has shown substantial promise in improving the clinical assessment of disorders of consciousness (DOC). Through the examination of both stimulus-induced and spontaneous brain activity, numerous comprehensive investigations have explored variations in brain activity patterns among patients with DOC, yielding valuable insights for clinical diagnosis and prognostic purposes. Nonetheless, reaching a consensus on precise neuroimaging biomarkers for patients with DOC remains a challenge. Therefore, in this review, we begin by summarizing the empirical evidence related to neuroimaging biomarkers for DOC using various paradigms, including active, passive, and resting-state approaches, by employing task-based fMRI, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and positron emission tomography (PET) techniques. Subsequently, we conducted a review of studies examining the neural correlates of consciousness in patients with DOC, with the findings holding potential value for the clinical application of DOC. Notably, previous research indicates that neuroimaging techniques have the potential to unveil covert awareness that conventional behavioral assessments might overlook. Furthermore, when integrated with various task paradigms or analytical approaches, this combination has the potential to significantly enhance the accuracy of both diagnosis and prognosis in DOC patients. Nonetheless, the stability of these neural biomarkers still needs additional validation, and future directions may entail integrating diagnostic and prognostic methods with big data and deep learning approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Qiantu Lai
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Junrong Han
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Pengmin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou 510330, China.
| | - Hang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China.
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Xu C, Zhu Z, Wu W, Zheng X, Zhong H, Huang X, Xie Q, Qian X. Effects of 10 Hz individualized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on patients with disorders of consciousness: a study protocol for an exploratory double-blind crossover randomized sham-controlled trial. Trials 2023; 24:249. [PMID: 37005647 PMCID: PMC10067296 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07122-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), as a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, has shown potentials for consciousness recovery of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), as, to a certain extent, it is effective in regulating the excitability of central nervous system. However, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory effect with "one size fits all" rTMS treatment due to different clinical conditions of patients. There is an urgent need to develop individualized strategy to improve the effectiveness of rTMS on patients with DoC. METHODS Our protocol is a randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover trial that includes 30 DoC patients. Each patient will received 20 sessions, in which 10 sessions will be rTMS-active stimulus, and the other 10 sessions will be sham stimulus, separated by no less than 10 days' washout period. The rTMS-active will include 10 Hz rTMS over the individualized-targeted selection area for each patient according to the different insult regions of the brain. Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) will be used as primary outcome at baseline, after the first stage of stimulation, at the end of the washout period, and after the second stage of stimulation. Secondary outcomes will be measured at the same time, including efficiency, relative spectral power, and functional connectivity of high-density electroencephalograph (EEG). Adverse events will be recorded during the study. DISCUSSION rTMS has obtained grade A evidence in treating patients with several central nervous system diseases, and there has been some evidence showing partial improvement on level of consciousness in DoC patients. However, the effectiveness of rTMS in DoC is only 30~36%, mostly due to the non-specific target selection. In this protocol, we present a double-blind crossover randomized sham-controlled trial based on the individualized-targeted selection strategy that aims to study the effectiveness of rTMS therapy for DoC, and the result may provide new insights to non-invasive brain stimulation. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT05187000. Registered on January 10, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengwei Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaohua Zhu
- Clinical Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanchun Wu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochun Zheng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, People's Republic of China
| | - Haili Zhong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiyan Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qiuyou Xie
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xinyi Qian
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, 341000, People's Republic of China
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Wu H, Xie Q, Pan J, Liang Q, Lan Y, Guo Y, Han J, Xie M, Liu Y, Jiang L, Wu X, Li Y, Qin P. Identifying Patients with Cognitive Motor Dissociation Using Resting-state Temporal Stability. Neuroimage 2023; 272:120050. [PMID: 36963740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Using task-dependent neuroimaging techniques, recent studies discovered a fraction of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) who had no command-following behaviors but showed a clear sign of awareness as healthy controls, which was defined as cognitive motor dissociation (CMD). However, existing task-dependent approaches might fail when CMD patients have cognitive function (e.g., attention, memory) impairments, in which patients with covert awareness cannot perform a specific task accurately and are thus wrongly considered unconscious, which leads to false-negative findings. Recent studies have suggested that sustaining a stable functional organization over time, i.e., high temporal stability, is crucial for supporting consciousness. Thus, temporal stability could be a powerful tool to detect the patient's cognitive functions (e.g., consciousness), while its alteration in the DOC and its capacity for identifying CMD were unclear. The resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) study included 119 participants from three independent research sites. A sliding-window approach was used to investigate global and regional temporal stability, which measured how stable the brain's functional architecture was across time. The temporal stability was compared in the first dataset (36/16 DOC/controls), and then a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier was built to discriminate DOC from controls. Furthermore, the generalizability of the SVM classifier was tested in the second independent dataset (35/21 DOC/controls). Finally, the SVM classifier was applied to the third independent dataset, where patients underwent rs-fMRI and brain-computer interface assessment (4/7 CMD/potential non-CMD), to test its performance in identifying CMD. Our results showed that global and regional temporal stability was impaired in DOC patients, especially in regions of the cingulo-opercular task control network, default-mode network, fronto-parietal task control network, and salience network. Using temporal stability as the feature, the SVM model not only showed good performance in the first dataset (accuracy = 90%), but also good generalizability in the second dataset (accuracy = 84%). Most importantly, the SVM model generalized well in identifying CMD in the third dataset (accuracy = 91%). Our preliminary findings suggested that temporal stability could be a potential tool to assist in diagnosing CMD. Furthermore, the temporal stability investigated in this study also contributed to a deeper understanding of the neural mechanism of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Qiuyou Xie
- Joint Center for disorders of consciousness, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510220, China; Centre for Hyperbaric Oxygen and Neurorehabilitation, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou, 510010, China
| | - Jiahui Pan
- School of Software, South China Normal University, Foshan, 528225, China; Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, 510330, China
| | - Qimei Liang
- Joint Center for disorders of consciousness, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510220, China
| | - Yue Lan
- Joint Center for disorders of consciousness, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510220, China
| | - Yequn Guo
- Centre for Hyperbaric Oxygen and Neurorehabilitation, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou, 510010, China
| | - Junrong Han
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Science, Ministry of Education, China; Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Musi Xie
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Yueyao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Liubei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Xuehai Wu
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, 510330, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China; Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Key laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, 200433, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Yuanqing Li
- Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, 510330, China; School of Automation Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Pengmin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China; Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, 510330, China.
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Chen H, Miao G, Wang S, Zheng J, Zhang X, Lin J, Hao C, Huang H, Jiang T, Gong Y, Liao W. Disturbed functional connectivity and topological properties of the frontal lobe in minimally conscious state based on resting-state fNIRS. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1118395. [PMID: 36845431 PMCID: PMC9950516 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1118395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Patients in minimally conscious state (MCS) exist measurable evidence of consciousness. The frontal lobe is a crucial part of the brain that encodes abstract information and is closely related to the conscious state. We hypothesized that the disturbance of the frontal functional network exists in MCS patients. Methods We collected the resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data of fifteen MCS patients and sixteen age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC). The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) scale of MCS patients was also composed. The topology of the frontal functional network was analyzed in two groups. Results Compared with HC, the MCS patients showed widely disrupted functional connectivity in the frontal lobe, especially in the frontopolar area and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the MCS patients displayed lower clustering coefficient, global efficiency, local efficiency, and higher characteristic path length. In addition, the nodal clustering coefficient and nodal local efficiency in the left frontopolar area and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were significantly reduced in MCS patients. Furthermore, the nodal clustering coefficient and nodal local efficiency in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were positively correlated to auditory subscale scores. Conclusion This study reveals that MCS patients' frontal functional network is synergistically dysfunctional. And the balance between information separation and integration in the frontal lobe is broken, especially the local information transmission in the prefrontal cortex. These findings help us to understand the pathological mechanism of MCS patients better.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sirui Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jun Zheng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junbin Lin
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chizi Hao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hailong Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ting Jiang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Sarasso S, Casali AG, Casarotto S, Rosanova M, Sinigaglia C, Massimini M. Consciousness and complexity: a consilience of evidence. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab023. [PMID: 38496724 PMCID: PMC10941977 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last years, a surge of empirical studies converged on complexity-related measures as reliable markers of consciousness across many different conditions, such as sleep, anesthesia, hallucinatory states, coma, and related disorders. Most of these measures were independently proposed by researchers endorsing disparate frameworks and employing different methods and techniques. Since this body of evidence has not been systematically reviewed and coherently organized so far, this positive trend has remained somewhat below the radar. The aim of this paper is to make this consilience of evidence in the science of consciousness explicit. We start with a systematic assessment of the growing literature on complexity-related measures and identify their common denominator, tracing it back to core theoretical principles and predictions put forward more than 20 years ago. In doing this, we highlight a consistent trajectory spanning two decades of consciousness research and provide a provisional taxonomy of the present literature. Finally, we consider all of the above as a positive ground to approach new questions and devise future experiments that may help consolidate and further develop a promising field where empirical research on consciousness appears to have, so far, naturally converged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Sarasso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ‘L. Sacco’, University of Milan, Milan 20157, Italy
| | - Adenauer Girardi Casali
- Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Jose dos Campos, 12247-014, Brazil
| | - Silvia Casarotto
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ‘L. Sacco’, University of Milan, Milan 20157, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan 20148, Italy
| | - Mario Rosanova
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ‘L. Sacco’, University of Milan, Milan 20157, Italy
| | | | - Marcello Massimini
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ‘L. Sacco’, University of Milan, Milan 20157, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan 20148, Italy
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Zheng W, Tan X, Liu T, Li X, Gao J, Hong L, Zhang X, Zhao Z, Yu Y, Zhang Y, Luo B, Wu D. Individualized Thalamic Parcellation Reveals Alterations in Shape and Microstructure of Thalamic Nuclei in Patients with Disorder of Consciousness. Cereb Cortex Commun 2021; 2:tgab024. [PMID: 34296169 PMCID: PMC8152869 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus plays crucial roles in consciousness generation and information processing. Previous evidence suggests that disorder of consciousness (DOC) caused by severe brain injury, is potentially related to thalamic abnormalities. However, how the morphology and microstructure change in thalamic subfields and thalamocortical fiber pathways in patients with DOC, and the relationships between these changes and the consciousness status remain unclear. Here, we generated the individual-specific thalamic parcellation in 10 DOC patients and 10 healthy controls (HC) via a novel thalamic segmentation framework based on the fiber orientation distribution (FOD) derived from 7-Tesla diffusion MRI, and investigated the shape deformation of thalamic nuclei as well as the microstructural changes associated with thalamic nuclei and thalamocortical pathways in patients with DOC. Enlargement of dorsal posterior nucleus and atrophy of anterior nucleus in the right thalamus were observed in DOC cohort relative to the HCs, and the former was closely linked to the consciousness level of the patients. We also found significant reductions of fiber density, but not fiber bundle cross-section, within several thalamic nuclei and most of the thalamocortical fiber pathways, suggesting that loss of axons might take primary responsibility for the impaired thalamocortical connections in patients with DOC rather than the change in fiber-bundle morphology. Furthermore, the individual-specific thalamic parcellation achieved 80% accuracy in classifying patients at the minimally conscious state from the vegetative state, compared with ~60% accuracy based on group-level parcellations. Our findings provide the first evidence for the shape deformation of thalamic nuclei in DOC patients and the microstructural basis of the disrupted thalamocortical connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihao Zheng
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Xufei Tan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, 310015, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- Department of Neurology and Brain Medical Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Jian Gao
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hospital of Zhejiang Armed Police Corps, Hangzhou, 310051, P.R. China
| | - Lirong Hong
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hospital of Zhejiang Armed Police Corps, Hangzhou, 310051, P.R. China
| | - Xiaotong Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, P.R. China
| | - Zhiyong Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Yamei Yu
- Department of Neurology and Brain Medical Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
| | - Benyan Luo
- Department of Neurology and Brain Medical Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Dan Wu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P.R. China
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Higher-order sensorimotor circuit of the brain's global network supports human consciousness. Neuroimage 2021; 231:117850. [PMID: 33582277 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Consciousness is a mental characteristic of the human mind, whose exact neural features remain unclear. We aimed to identify the critical nodes within the brain's global functional network that support consciousness. To that end, we collected a large fMRI resting state dataset with subjects in at least one of the following three consciousness states: preserved (including the healthy awake state, and patients with a brain injury history (BI) that is fully conscious), reduced (including the N1-sleep state, and minimally conscious state), and lost (including the N3-sleep state, anesthesia, and unresponsive wakefulness state). We also included a unique dataset of subjects in rapid eye movement sleep state (REM-sleep) to test for the presence of consciousness with minimum movements and sensory input. To identify critical nodes, i.e., hubs, within the brain's global functional network, we used a graph-theoretical measure of degree centrality conjoined with ROI-based functional connectivity. Using these methods, we identified various higher-order sensory and motor regions including the supplementary motor area, bilateral supramarginal gyrus (part of inferior parietal lobule), supragenual/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and left middle temporal gyrus, that could be important hubs whose degree centrality was significantly reduced when consciousness was reduced or absent. Additionally, we identified a sensorimotor circuit, in which the functional connectivity among these regions was significantly correlated with levels of consciousness across the different groups, and remained present in the REM-sleep group. Taken together, we demonstrated that regions forming a higher-order sensorimotor integration circuit are involved in supporting consciousness within the brain's global functional network. That offers novel and more mechanism-guided treatment targets for disorders of consciousness.
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Cao B, Guo Y, Guo Y, Xie Q, Chen L, Huang H, Yu R, Huang R. Time-delay structure predicts clinical scores for patients with disorders of consciousness using resting-state fMRI. NEUROIMAGE: CLINICAL 2021; 32:102797. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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Rudas J, Martínez D, Castellanos G, Demertzi A, Martial C, Carriére M, Aubinet C, Soddu A, Laureys S, Gómez F. Time-Delay Latency of Resting-State Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Signal Related to the Level of Consciousness in Patients with Severe Consciousness Impairment. Brain Connect 2020; 10:83-94. [DOI: 10.1089/brain.2019.0716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Rudas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Darwin Martínez
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Central de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Gabriel Castellanos
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Athena Demertzi
- Physiology of Cognition Research Lab, GIGA-Consciousness, GIGA Institute, University of Liege, Liège, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Martial
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Manon Carriére
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Charlène Aubinet
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Andrea Soddu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Francisco Gómez
- Department of Mathematics, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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Sattin D, Leonardi M, Picozzi M. The autonomic nervous system and the brainstem: A fundamental role or the background actors for consciousness generation? Hypothesis, evidence, and future directions for rehabilitation and theoretical approaches. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01474. [PMID: 31782916 PMCID: PMC6955833 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION One of the hardest challenges of the third century is to develop theories that could joint different results for a global explanation of human consciousness. Some important theories have been proposed, trying to explain the emergence of consciousness as the result of different progressive changes in the elaboration of information during brain processing, giving particular attention to the thalamocortical system. METHODS In this article, a summary review of results that highlighted as cerebral cortex could not be so fundamental for consciousness generation is proposed. In detail, three topics were analyzed: (a) studies using experimental approach (manipulating stimuli or brain areas), such as decorticated animals or subliminal presentation of stimuli; (b) studies using anatomo-clinical method (conscious inferenced from observed behaviors); and (c) data from neurostimulation of subcortical areas or of the autonomic nervous system. RESULTS We sketch two speculative hypothesis relative, firstly, to the possible independence from cortical areas of the on/off mechanism for consciousness generation and, secondly, to the possible role of information variability generated by the bottom-up exchange of information among neural systems as a switch for consciousness. CONCLUSIONS A broad range of evidence regarding the functional role of the brainstem and autonomic nervous system is reviewed for its bearing on a future hypothesis regarding the generation of consciousness experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Sattin
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit and Coma Research CentreFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C.BestaMilanItaly
- Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities‐PhD ProgramBiotechnology and Life Sciences Department and Center for Clinical EthicsInsubria UniversityVareseItaly
| | - Matilde Leonardi
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit and Coma Research CentreFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C.BestaMilanItaly
| | - Mario Picozzi
- Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department and Center for Clinical EthicsInsubria UniversityVareseItaly
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Efficiency of Repetitive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Disorders of Consciousness: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Study. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:7089543. [PMID: 31308848 PMCID: PMC6594311 DOI: 10.1155/2019/7089543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) could improve arousal in disorders of consciousness (DOC). However, the comparative effectiveness of anodal stimulation of the left DLPFC and the electrophysiological effect of tDCS are yet to be determined. In this randomized sham-controlled design, patients were separated into three groups (left/right anodal tDCS, sham). Data on the clinical assessments and EEG were collected at baseline and after 2 weeks of tDCS. The outcome at 3-month follow-up was evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended. Results showed that sessions of the left tDCS facilitated the excitability of the prefrontal cortex, whereas only one patient had a positive outcome. Targeting the right DLPFC was less effective, merely leading to activation of the stimulation site, with no effect on the state of arousal. Moreover, sham stimulation had minimal or no effect on any of the outcomes. These results provide evidence for a hemispheric asymmetry of tDCS effects in patients with DOC. Left anodal tDCS might be more effective for modulating cortical excitability compared to tDCS on the right DLPFC. However, future studies with large sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings. This trial is registered with NCT03809936.
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12
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Stimulation of the Angular Gyrus Improves the Level of Consciousness. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9050103. [PMID: 31064138 PMCID: PMC6562708 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9050103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising tool for neuromodulation. In previous studies it has been shown that the activity of the default mode network (DMN) areas, particularly of its key region—the angular gyrus—is positively correlated with the level of consciousness. Our study aimed to explore the effect of rTMS of the angular gyrus as a new approach for disorders of consciousness (DOC) treatment; Methods: A 10-session 2-week high-frequency rTMS protocol was delivered over the left angular gyrus in 38 DOC patients with repeated neurobehavioral assessments obtained at baseline and in 2 days after the stimulation course was complete; Results: 20 Hz-rTMS over left angular gyrus improved the coma recovery scale revised (CRS-R) total score in minimally conscious state (MCS) patients. We observed no effects in vegetative state (VS) patients; and Conclusions: The left angular gyrus is likely to be effective target for rTMS in patients with present signs of consciousness.
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13
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Emotional consciousness preserved in patients with disorders of consciousness? Neurol Sci 2019; 40:1409-1418. [PMID: 30941627 PMCID: PMC6579782 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-03848-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence from studies of brain responses to subject’s own name (SON) indicates that residual consciousness is preserved in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) and that specific network activation might provide evidence of consciousness. However, it remains unclear whether SON is suitable for detection of emotional consciousness; moreover, the particular aspects of brain network organization that are critical for consciousness are unknown. The present study used an innovative approach to explore affective consciousness in patients with DOC during emotional stimuli. EEG data were acquired from 15 patients and 15 healthy volunteers. We analyzed brain potentials and functional network connectivity with a passive emotional paradigm based on graph theoretical methods. Larger N1 or P3a was detected in patients upon exposure to emotional sound, relative to neutral stimuli. Brain topology revealed that emotional sound evoked significantly stronger network linkages in healthy controls; additionally, it evoked several connectivity changes in patients with DOC. In conclusion, emotional consciousness might be partially preserved in patients with DOC; moreover, EEG network patterns could provide new insights into the neural activity of emotional perception in these patients.
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14
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Sitaram R, Yu T, Halsband U, Vogel D, Müller F, Lang S, Birbaumer N, Kotchoubey B. Spatial characteristics of spontaneous and stimulus-induced individual functional connectivity networks in severe disorders of consciousness. Brain Cogn 2018; 131:10-21. [PMID: 30502227 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional connectivity (fcMRI) analyses of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data revealed substantial differences between states of consciousness. The underlying cause-effect linkage, however, remains unknown to the present day. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between fcMRI measures and Disorders of Consciousness (DOC) in resting state and under adequate stimulation. METHODS AND FINDINGS fMRI data from thirteen patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, eight patients in minimally conscious state, and eleven healthy controls were acquired in rest and during the application of nociceptive and emotional acoustic stimuli. We compared spatial characteristics and anatomical topography of seed-based fcMRI networks on group and individual levels. The anatomical topography of fcMRI networks of patients was altered in all three conditions as compared with healthy controls. Spread and distribution of individual fcMRI networks, however, differed significantly between patients and healthy controls in stimulation conditions only. The exploration of individual metric values identified two patients whose spatial metrics did not deviate from metric distributions of healthy controls in a statistically meaningful manner. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the disturbance of consciousness in DOC is related to deficits in global topographical network organization rather than a principal inability to establish long-distance connections. In addition, the results question the claim that task-free measurements are particularly valuable as a tool for individual diagnostics in severe neurological disorders. Further studies comparing connectivity indices with outcome of DOC patients are needed to determine the clinical relevance of spatial metrics and stimulation paradigms for individual diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in DOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranganatha Sitaram
- Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering, Department of Psychiatry and Section of Neuroscience, and Laboratory for Brain-Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Schools of Engineering, Biology & Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Chile; Wyss Center for Bio and Neuro Engineering, Biotechnology Campus, Genèva, Switzerland.
| | - Tao Yu
- Clinics for Neurological Rehabilitation "Quellenhof", Bad Wildbad, Germany
| | | | - Dominik Vogel
- Schön Clinics for Neurological Rehabilitation Bad Aibling, Germany
| | | | - Simone Lang
- Department of Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Niels Birbaumer
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany; Wyss Center for Bio and Neuro Engineering, Biotechnology Campus, Genèva, Switzerland
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
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15
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Sinitsyn DO, Legostaeva LA, Kremneva EI, Morozova SN, Poydasheva AG, Mochalova EG, Chervyakova OG, Ryabinkina JV, Suponeva NA, Piradov MA. Degrees of functional connectome abnormality in disorders of consciousness. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:2929-2940. [PMID: 29575425 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neuronal basis of disorders of consciousness can help improve the accuracy of their diagnosis, indicate potential targets for therapeutic interventions, and provide insights into the organization of normal conscious information processing. Measurements of brain activity have been used to find associations of the levels of consciousness with brain complexity, topological features of functional connectomes, and disruption of resting-state networks. However, obtainment of a detailed picture of activity patterns underlying the vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and the minimally conscious state remains a work in progress. We here aimed at finding the aspects of fMRI-based functional connectivity that differentiate these states from each other and from the normal condition. A group of 22 patients was studied (9 minimally conscious state and 13 vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome). Patients were shown to have reduced connectivity in most resting-state networks and disrupted patterns of relative connection strengths as compared to healthy subjects. Differences between the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and the minimally conscious state were found in the patterns formed by a relatively small number of strongest positive correlations selected by thresholding. These differences were captured by measures of functional connectivity disruption that integrate area-specific abnormalities over the whole brain. The results suggest that the strong positive correlations between the functional activities of specific brain areas observed in healthy individuals may be critical for consciousness and be an important target of disruption in disorders of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry O Sinitsyn
- Research Center of Neurology, 80 Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, 125367, Russia
| | | | - Elena I Kremneva
- Research Center of Neurology, 80 Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, 125367, Russia
| | - Sofya N Morozova
- Research Center of Neurology, 80 Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, 125367, Russia
| | | | | | | | - Julia V Ryabinkina
- Research Center of Neurology, 80 Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, 125367, Russia
| | - Natalia A Suponeva
- Research Center of Neurology, 80 Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, 125367, Russia
| | - Michael A Piradov
- Research Center of Neurology, 80 Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, 125367, Russia
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