1
|
Rezvani S, Hosseini-Zahraei SH, Tootchi A, Guger C, Chaibakhsh Y, Saberi A, Chaibakhsh A. A review on the performance of brain-computer interface systems used for patients with locked-in and completely locked-in syndrome. Cogn Neurodyn 2024; 18:1419-1443. [PMID: 39104673 PMCID: PMC11297882 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-023-09995-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients with locked-in syndrome (LIS) and complete locked-in syndrome (CLIS) own a fully functional brain restricted within a non-functional body. In order to help LIS patients stay connected with their surroundings, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and related technologies have emerged. BCIs translate brain activity into actions that can be performed by external devices enabling LIS patients to communicate, leading to an increase in their quality of life. The past decade has seen the rapid development of BCIs that have the potential to be used for patients with locked-in syndrome, from which a great deal is tested only on healthy subjects and not on actual patients. This study aims to (1) provide the readers with a comprehensive study that contributes to this growing area of research by exploring the performance of BCIs tested specifically on LIS and CLIS patients, (2) give an overview of different modalities and paradigms used in different stages of the locked-in syndrome, and (3) discuss the contributions and limitations of BCIs introduced for the LIS and CLIS patients in the state-of-the-art and lay a groundwork for researchers interested in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Rezvani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University, University of Guilan, Campus 2, Rasht, 41447-84475 Guilan Iran
- Intelligent Systems and Advanced Control Lab, University of Guilan, Rasht, 41938-13776 Guilan Iran
| | | | - Amirreza Tootchi
- Department of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), 723 W Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | | | - Yasmin Chaibakhsh
- Department of Cardiac Anesthesia, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 19956-14331 Iran
| | - Alia Saberi
- Department of Neurology, Poursina Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, 41937-13194 Guilan Iran
| | - Ali Chaibakhsh
- Intelligent Systems and Advanced Control Lab, University of Guilan, Rasht, 41938-13776 Guilan Iran
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Guilan, Rasht, 41996-13776 Guilan Iran
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lindenbaum L, Steppacher I, Mehlmann A, Kissler JM. The effect of neural pre-stimulus oscillations on post-stimulus somatosensory event-related potentials in disorders of consciousness. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1179228. [PMID: 37360157 PMCID: PMC10287968 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1179228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain activity of people in a disorder of consciousness (DoC) is diffuse and different from healthy people. In order to get a better understanding of their cognitive processes and functions, electroencephalographic activity has often been examined in patients with DoC, including detection of event-related potentials (ERPs) and spectral power analysis. However, the relationship between pre-stimulus oscillations and post-stimulus ERPs has rarely been explored in DoC, although it is known from healthy participants that pre-stimulus oscillations predispose subsequent stimulus detection. Here, we examine to what extent pre-stimulus electroencephalography band power in DoC relates to post-stimulus ERPs in a similar way as previously documented in healthy people. 14 DoC patients in an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS, N = 2) or a minimally conscious state (MCS, N = 12) participated in this study. In an active oddball paradigm patients received vibrotactile stimuli. Significant post-stimulus differences between brain responses to deviant and standard stimulation could be found in six MCS patients (42.86%). Regarding relative pre-stimulus frequency bands, delta oscillations predominated in most patients, followed by theta and alpha, although two patients showed a relatively normal power spectrum. The statistical analysis of the relationship between pre-stimulus power and post-stimulus event-related brain response showed multiple significant correlations in five out of the six patients. Individual results sometimes showed similar correlation patterns as in healthy subjects primarily between the relative pre-stimulus alpha power and post-stimulus variables in later time-intervals. However, opposite effects were also found, indicating high inter-individual variability in DoC patients´ functional brain activity. Future studies should determine on an individual level to what extent the relationship between pre- and post-stimulus brain activity could relate to the course of the disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lindenbaum
- Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Inga Steppacher
- Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Johanna Maria Kissler
- Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Comanducci A, Boly M, Claassen J, De Lucia M, Gibson RM, Juan E, Laureys S, Naccache L, Owen AM, Rosanova M, Rossetti AO, Schnakers C, Sitt JD, Schiff ND, Massimini M. Clinical and advanced neurophysiology in the prognostic and diagnostic evaluation of disorders of consciousness: review of an IFCN-endorsed expert group. Clin Neurophysiol 2020; 131:2736-2765. [PMID: 32917521 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of spontaneous EEG activity and evoked potentialsis a cornerstone of the instrumental evaluation of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). Thepast few years have witnessed an unprecedented surge in EEG-related research applied to the prediction and detection of recovery of consciousness after severe brain injury,opening up the prospect that new concepts and tools may be available at the bedside. This paper provides a comprehensive, critical overview of bothconsolidated and investigational electrophysiological techniquesfor the prognostic and diagnostic assessment of DoC.We describe conventional clinical EEG approaches, then focus on evoked and event-related potentials, and finally we analyze the potential of novel research findings. In doing so, we (i) draw a distinction between acute, prolonged and chronic phases of DoC, (ii) attempt to relate both clinical and research findings to the underlying neuronal processes and (iii) discuss technical and conceptual caveats.The primary aim of this narrative review is to bridge the gap between standard and emerging electrophysiological measures for the detection and prediction of recovery of consciousness. The ultimate scope is to provide a reference and common ground for academic researchers active in the field of neurophysiology and clinicians engaged in intensive care unit and rehabilitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Comanducci
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy
| | - M Boly
- Department of Neurology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA; Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - J Claassen
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - M De Lucia
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Neuroimagerie, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - R M Gibson
- The Brain and Mind Institute and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, N6A 5B7 University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - E Juan
- Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - S Laureys
- Coma Science Group, Centre du Cerveau, GIGA-Consciousness, University and University Hospital of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Fondazione Europea per la Ricerca Biomedica Onlus, Milan 20063, Italy
| | - L Naccache
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, UPMC Université Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - A M Owen
- The Brain and Mind Institute and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, N6A 5B7 University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Rosanova
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Fondazione Europea per la Ricerca Biomedica Onlus, Milan 20063, Italy
| | - A O Rossetti
- Neurology Service, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C Schnakers
- Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - J D Sitt
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - N D Schiff
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - M Massimini
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ghosh Hajra S, Liu CC, Song X, Fickling SD, Cheung TPL, D'Arcy RCN. Multimodal characterization of the semantic N400 response within a rapid evaluation brain vital sign framework. J Transl Med 2018; 16:151. [PMID: 29866112 PMCID: PMC5987605 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1527-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background For nearly four decades, the N400 has been an important brainwave marker of semantic processing. It can be recorded non-invasively from the scalp using electrical and/or magnetic sensors, but largely within the restricted domain of research laboratories specialized to run specific N400 experiments. However, there is increasing evidence of significant clinical utility for the N400 in neurological evaluation, particularly at the individual level. To enable clinical applications, we recently reported a rapid evaluation framework known as “brain vital signs” that successfully incorporated the N400 response as one of the core components for cognitive function evaluation. The current study characterized the rapidly evoked N400 response to demonstrate that it shares consistent features with traditional N400 responses acquired in research laboratory settings—thereby enabling its translation into brain vital signs applications. Methods Data were collected from 17 healthy individuals using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG), with analysis of sensor-level effects as well as evaluation of brain sources. Individual-level N400 responses were classified using machine learning to determine the percentage of participants in whom the response was successfully detected. Results The N400 response was observed in both M/EEG modalities showing significant differences to incongruent versus congruent condition in the expected time range (p < 0.05). Also as expected, N400-related brain activity was observed in the temporal and inferior frontal cortical regions, with typical left-hemispheric asymmetry. Classification robustly confirmed the N400 effect at the individual level with high accuracy (89%), sensitivity (0.88) and specificity (0.90). Conclusion The brain vital sign N400 characteristics were highly consistent with features of the previously reported N400 responses acquired using traditional laboratory-based experiments. These results provide important evidence supporting clinical translation of the rapidly acquired N400 response as a potential tool for assessments of higher cognitive functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujoy Ghosh Hajra
- Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Surrey NeuroTech Lab, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 13750 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 1Z2, Canada
| | - Careesa C Liu
- Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Surrey NeuroTech Lab, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 13750 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 1Z2, Canada
| | - Xiaowei Song
- Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Health Science and Innovation, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, BC, Canada.,ImageTech Lab, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 13750 96 Av, Surrey, BC, V3V 1Z2, Canada
| | - Shaun D Fickling
- Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Surrey NeuroTech Lab, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 13750 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 1Z2, Canada
| | - Teresa P L Cheung
- Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Health Science and Innovation, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, BC, Canada.,ImageTech Lab, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 13750 96 Av, Surrey, BC, V3V 1Z2, Canada
| | - Ryan C N D'Arcy
- Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. .,Health Science and Innovation, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, BC, Canada. .,HealthTech Connex Inc, Surrey, BC, Canada. .,Surrey NeuroTech Lab, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 13750 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 1Z2, Canada. .,ImageTech Lab, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 13750 96 Av, Surrey, BC, V3V 1Z2, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
P 135 Using a BCI approach to record ERPs for detecting signs of awareness in patients with severe disorders of consciousness. Clin Neurophysiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.06.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
6
|
Kotchoubey B. Evoked and event-related potentials in disorders of consciousness: A quantitative review. Conscious Cogn 2017; 54:155-167. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
7
|
Abstract
It is of the utmost importance for an organism to rapidly detect and react to changes in its environment. The oddball paradigm has repeatedly been used to explore the underlying cognitive and neurophysiological components of change detection. It is also used to investigate the special role of emotional content in perception and attention (emotional oddball paradigm; EOP). In this article, the EOP is systematically reviewed. The EOP is, for instance, used as a tool to address questions as to what degree emotional deviant stimuli trigger orientation reactions, which role the emotional context plays in the processing of deviant information, and how the processing of emotional deviant information differs interindividually (including clinical populations). Two main variants with regard to the emotionality of standards and deviants are defined. Most of the identified EOP studies report EEG data but an overview of behavioral data is also provided in this review. We integrate evidence from 99 EOP experiments and shape the EOP's theoretical background under the consideration of other paradigms’ mechanisms and theories.
Collapse
|
8
|
Brain-Computer Interface for Clinical Purposes: Cognitive Assessment and Rehabilitation. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:1695290. [PMID: 28913349 PMCID: PMC5587953 DOI: 10.1155/2017/1695290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alongside the best-known applications of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for restoring communication abilities and controlling external devices, we present the state of the art of BCI use for cognitive assessment and training purposes. We first describe some preliminary attempts to develop verbal-motor free BCI-based tests for evaluating specific or multiple cognitive domains in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, disorders of consciousness, and other neurological diseases. Then we present the more heterogeneous and advanced field of BCI-based cognitive training, which has its roots in the context of neurofeedback therapy and addresses patients with neurological developmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), stroke patients, and elderly subjects. We discuss some advantages of BCI for both assessment and training purposes, the former concerning the possibility of longitudinally and reliably evaluating cognitive functions in patients with severe motor disabilities, the latter regarding the possibility of enhancing patients' motivation and engagement for improving neural plasticity. Finally, we discuss some present and future challenges in the BCI use for the described purposes.
Collapse
|
9
|
Differential Diagnosis and Management of Incomplete Locked-In Syndrome after Traumatic Brain Injury. Case Rep Neurol Med 2017; 2017:6167052. [PMID: 28695029 PMCID: PMC5488530 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6167052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Locked-in syndrome (LIS) is a rare diagnosis in which patients present with quadriplegia, lower cranial nerve paralysis, and mutism. It is clinically difficult to differentiate from other similarly presenting diagnoses with no standard approach for assessing such poorly responsive patients. The purpose of this case is to highlight the clinical differential diagnosis process and outcomes of a patient with LIS during acute inpatient rehabilitation. A 32-year-old female was admitted following traumatic brain injury. She presented with quadriplegia and mutism but was awake and aroused based on eye gaze communication. The rehabilitation team was able to diagnose incomplete LIS based on knowledge of neuroanatomy and clinical reasoning. Establishing this diagnosis allowed for an individualized treatment plan that focused on communication, coping, family training, and discharge planning. The patient was ultimately able to discharge home with a single caregiver, improving her quality of life. Continued evidence highlights the benefits of intensive comprehensive therapy for those with acquired brain injury such as LIS, but access is still limited for those with a seemingly poor prognosis. Access to a multidisciplinary, specialized team provides opportunity for continued assessment and individualized treatment as the patient attains more medical stability, improving long-term management.
Collapse
|
10
|
Illman NA, Crawford S. Late-recovery from "permanent" vegetative state in the context of severe traumatic brain injury: A case report exploring objective and subjective aspects of recovery and rehabilitation. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2017; 28:1360-1374. [PMID: 28446065 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2017.1313167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This article provides a detailed outline of the recovery of a young male patient during his emergence from a vegetative state (VS) 19 months after suffering a severe traumatic brain injury. Several similar cases have been documented, but these tend not to consider the subjective experience of the patient or family; our aim was therefore to provide a detailed account that emphasises our neuropsychological exploration of the impact of the injury on this person, and looks at the experience of his mother along the timeline from his accident to the end of a successful period in rehabilitation. Clinical details are presented including standardised and non-standard assessments, neuropsychological interventions, as well as reflections from the patient himself. Moreover, qualitative data from an interview with his mother is used to illustrate the emotional impact on family of such a vacillating diagnostic status and prognosis for the future. We conclude that late-emergence from VS is increasingly documented and further cases must be published to better understand this phenomenon. The present case illustrates the emotional impact this situation can have on a patient and his or her family, and gives an important insight into a patient's view of his or her life and identity following such an event.
Collapse
|
11
|
Day KV, DiNapoli MV, Whyte J. Detecting early recovery of consciousness: a comparison of methods. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2017; 28:1233-1241. [PMID: 28385054 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2017.1309322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Early detection of the return of consciousness has important implications for prognosis and rehabilitation access. The aim of this study was to compare the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) with individualised quantitative behavioural assessments (IQBA) to determine which method is capable of detecting command-following earlier and more consistently in persons with disorders of consciousness (DoC). Data from 27 patients with DoC, who underwent both assessments concurrently during inpatient rehabilitation, were retrospectively analysed. For each person, performance trajectories on the CRS-R auditory subscale item and IQBA dual command protocols were graphed together to identify earlier and more consistent evidence of consciousness; grouped data were analysed statistically. For 22 patients, IQBA more consistently documented consciousness than the CRS-R, whereas no patients showed the reverse pattern. For 14 of 20 analysable patients, IQBA provided earlier evidence of consciousness, for two patients CRS-R provided earlier evidence, and for four patients both methods provided initial evidence on the same day. These findings suggest that IQBA approaches can provide more consistent and earlier evidence of command-following than the comparable item on the CRS-R. Whether this advantage is due to the individualisation of IQBA or the greater volume of data gathered requires further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin V Day
- a Department of Physical Therapy , Arcadia University , Glenside , PA , USA.,b Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Einstein Healthcare Network , Elkins Park , PA , USA
| | | | - John Whyte
- b Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Einstein Healthcare Network , Elkins Park , PA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Basic discriminative and semantic processing in patients in the vegetative and minimally conscious state. Int J Psychophysiol 2017; 113:8-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
13
|
Can self-relevant stimuli help assessing patients with disorders of consciousness? Conscious Cogn 2016; 44:51-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
14
|
del Giudice R, Blume C, Wislowska M, Wielek T, Heib DPJ, Schabus M. The Voice of Anger: Oscillatory EEG Responses to Emotional Prosody. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159429. [PMID: 27442445 PMCID: PMC4956258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotionally relevant stimuli and in particular anger are, due to their evolutionary relevance, often processed automatically and able to modulate attention independent of conscious access. Here, we tested whether attention allocation is enhanced when auditory stimuli are uttered by an angry voice. We recorded EEG and presented healthy individuals with a passive condition where unfamiliar names as well as the subject's own name were spoken both with an angry and neutral prosody. The active condition instead, required participants to actively count one of the presented (angry) names. Results revealed that in the passive condition the angry prosody only elicited slightly stronger delta synchronization as compared to a neutral voice. In the active condition the attended (angry) target was related to enhanced delta/theta synchronization as well as alpha desynchronization suggesting enhanced allocation of attention and utilization of working memory resources. Altogether, the current results are in line with previous findings and highlight that attention orientation can be systematically related to specific oscillatory brain responses. Potential applications include assessment of non-communicative clinical groups such as post-comatose patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renata del Giudice
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christine Blume
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Malgorzata Wislowska
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Tomasz Wielek
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Dominik P. J. Heib
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Manuel Schabus
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Real RG, Veser S, Erlbeck H, Risetti M, Vogel D, Müller F, Kotchoubey B, Mattia D, Kübler A. Information processing in patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states. Clin Neurophysiol 2016; 127:1395-1402. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
16
|
Tactile event-related potentials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Implications for brain-computer interface. Clin Neurophysiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
17
|
Seer C, Fürkötter S, Vogts MB, Lange F, Abdulla S, Dengler R, Petri S, Kopp B. Executive Dysfunctions and Event-Related Brain Potentials in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:225. [PMID: 26733861 PMCID: PMC4683183 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence implies psychological disturbances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Specifically, executive dysfunctions occur in up to 50% of ALS patients. The recently shown presence of cytoplasmic aggregates (TDP-43) in ALS patients and in patients with behavioral variants of frontotemporal dementia suggests that these two disease entities form the extremes of a spectrum. The present study aimed at investigating behavioral and electrophysiological indices of conflict processing in patients with ALS. A non-verbal variant of the flanker task demanded two-choice responses to target stimuli that were surrounded by flanker stimuli which either primed the correct response or the alternative response (the latter case representing the conflict situation). Behavioral performance, event-related potentials (ERP), and lateralized readiness potentials (LRP) were analyzed in 21 ALS patients and 20 controls. In addition, relations between these measures and executive dysfunctions were examined. ALS patients performed the flanker task normally, indicating preserved conflict processing. In similar vein, ERP and LRP indices of conflict processing did not differ between groups. However, ALS patients showed enhanced posterior negative ERP waveform deflections, possibly indicating increased modulation of visual processing by frontoparietal networks in ALS. We also found that the presence of executive dysfunctions was associated with more error-prone behavior and enhanced LRP amplitudes in ALS patients, pointing to a prefrontal pathogenesis of executive dysfunctions and to a potential link between prefrontal and motor cortical functional dysregulation in ALS, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Seer
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Maj-Britt Vogts
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Florian Lange
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Susanne Abdulla
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical SchoolHannover, Germany; Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University MagdeburgMagdeburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Dengler
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Bruno Kopp
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Parvar H, Sculthorpe-Petley L, Satel J, Boshra R, D'Arcy RCN, Trappenberg TP. Detection of event-related potentials in individual subjects using support vector machines. Brain Inform 2015; 2:1-12. [PMID: 27747499 PMCID: PMC4883156 DOI: 10.1007/s40708-014-0006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Event-related potentials (ERPs) are tiny electrical brain responses in the human electroencephalogram that are typically not detectable until they are isolated by a process of signal averaging. Owing to the extremely smallsize of ERP components (ranging from less than 1 μV to tens of μV), compared to background brain rhythms, statistical analyses of ERPs are predominantly carried out in groups of subjects. This limitation is a barrier to the translation of ERP-based neuroscience to applications such as medical diagnostics. We show here that support vector machines (SVMs) are a useful method to detect ERP components in individual subjects with a small set of electrodes and a small number of trials for a mismatch negativity (MMN) ERP component. Such a reduced experiment setup is important for clinical applications. One hundred healthy individuals were presented with an auditory pattern containing pattern-violating deviants to evoke the MMN. Two-class SVMs were then trained to classify averaged ERP waveforms in response to the standard tone (tones that match the pattern) and deviant tone stimuli (tones that violate the pattern). The influence of kernel type, number of epochs, electrode selection, and temporal window size in the averaged waveform were explored. When using all electrodes, averages of all available epochs, and a temporal window from 0 to 900-ms post-stimulus, a linear SVM achieved 94.5 % accuracy. Further analyses using SVMs trained with narrower, sliding temporal windows confirmed the sensitivity of the SVM to data in the latency range associated with the MMN.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Parvar
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, 6050 University Avenue, P.O. Box 1500, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | | | - Jason Satel
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Rober Boshra
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, 6050 University Avenue, P.O. Box 1500, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ryan C N D'Arcy
- Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada
| | - Thomas P Trappenberg
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, 6050 University Avenue, P.O. Box 1500, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sculthorpe-Petley L, Liu C, Hajra SG, Parvar H, Satel J, Trappenberg TP, Boshra R, D'Arcy RCN. A rapid event-related potential (ERP) method for point-of-care evaluation of brain function: development of the Halifax Consciousness Scanner. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 245:64-72. [PMID: 25701685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Event-related potentials (ERPs) may provide a non-invasive index of brain function for a range of clinical applications. However, as a lab-based technique, ERPs are limited by technical challenges that prevent full integration into clinical settings. NEW METHOD To translate ERP capabilities from the lab to clinical applications, we have developed methods like the Halifax Consciousness Scanner (HCS). HCS is essentially a rapid, automated ERP evaluation of brain functional status. The present study describes the ERP components evoked from auditory tones and speech stimuli. ERP results were obtained using a 5-min test in 100 healthy individuals. The HCS sequence was designed to evoke the N100, the mismatch negativity (MMN), P300, the early negative enhancement (ENE), and the N400. These components reflected sensation, perception, attention, memory, and language perception, respectively. Component detection was examined at group and individual levels, and evaluated across both statistical and classification approaches. RESULTS All ERP components were robustly detected at the group level. At the individual level, nonparametric statistical analyses showed reduced accuracy relative to support vector (SVM) machine classification, particularly for speech-based ERPs. Optimized SVM results were MMN: 95.6%; P300: 99.0%; ENE: 91.8%; and N400: 92.3%. CONCLUSIONS A spectrum of individual-level ERPs can be obtained in a very short time. Machine learning classification improved detection accuracy across a large healthy control sample. Translating ERPs into clinical applications is increasingly possible at the individual level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Sculthorpe-Petley
- Biomedical Translational Imaging Centre (BIOTIC), IWK Health Centre, Suite 3900-1796 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3A7, Canada
| | - Careesa Liu
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Sujoy Ghosh Hajra
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Hossein Parvar
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, 6050 University Ave., P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jason Satel
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Thomas P Trappenberg
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, 6050 University Ave., P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Rober Boshra
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, 6050 University Ave., P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ryan C N D'Arcy
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Liberati G, Hünefeldt T, Olivetti Belardinelli M. Questioning the dichotomy between vegetative state and minimally conscious state: a review of the statistical evidence. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:865. [PMID: 25404905 PMCID: PMC4217390 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the enormous consequences that the diagnosis of vegetative state (VS) vs. minimally conscious state (MCS) may have for the treatment of patients with disorders of consciousness, it is particularly important to empirically legitimate the distinction between these two discrete levels of consciousness. Therefore, the aim of this contribution is to review all the articles reporting statistical evidence concerning the performance of patients in VS vs. patients in MCS, on behavioral or neurophysiological measures. Twenty-three articles matched these inclusion criteria, and comprised behavioral, electroencephalographic (EEG), positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures. The analysis of these articles yielded 47 different statistical findings. More than half of these findings (n = 24) did not reveal any statistically significant difference between VS and MCS. Overall, there was no combination of variables that allowed reliably discriminating between VS and MCS. This pattern of results casts doubt on the empirical validity of the distinction between VS and MCS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Liberati
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Hünefeldt
- ECONA - Interuniversity Centre for Research on Cognitive Processing in Natural and Artificial Systems, "Sapienza" University of Rome Rome, Italy ; Department of Philosophy, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Marta Olivetti Belardinelli
- ECONA - Interuniversity Centre for Research on Cognitive Processing in Natural and Artificial Systems, "Sapienza" University of Rome Rome, Italy ; Department of Psychology, Sapienza, University of Rome Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
del Giudice R, Lechinger J, Wislowska M, Heib DPJ, Hoedlmoser K, Schabus M. Oscillatory brain responses to own names uttered by unfamiliar and familiar voices. Brain Res 2014; 1591:63-73. [PMID: 25307136 PMCID: PMC4235780 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.09.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Among auditory stimuli, the own name is one of the most powerful and it is able to automatically capture attention and elicit a robust electrophysiological response. The subject’s own name (SON) is preferentially processed in the right hemisphere, mainly because of its self-relevance and emotional content, together with other personally relevant information such as the voice of a familiar person. Whether emotional and self-relevant information are able to attract attention and can be, in future, introduced in clinical studies remains unclear. In the present study we used EEG and asked participants to count a target name (active condition) or to just listen to the SON or other unfamiliar names uttered by a familiar or unfamiliar voice (passive condition). Data reveals that the target name elicits a strong alpha event related desynchronization with respect to non-target names and triggers in addition a left lateralized theta synchronization as well as delta synchronization. In the passive condition alpha desynchronization was observed for familiar voice and SON stimuli in the right hemisphere. Altogether we speculate that participants engage additional attentional resources when counting a target name or when listening to personally relevant stimuli which is indexed by alpha desynchronization whereas left lateralized theta synchronization may be related to verbal working memory load. After validating the present protocol in healthy volunteers it is suggested to move one step further and apply the protocol to patients with disorders of consciousness in which the degree of residual cognitive processing and self-awareness is still insufficiently understood. EEG during an active–passive task based on first names was time-frequency analyzed. The presented names were uttered either by an unfamiliar or a familiar voice. Counted names elicited alpha desynchronization and left theta synchronization. Own name and familiar voices enhanced strong right alpha desynchronization. Alpha desynchronization reflects attentional engagement and emotional processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renata del Giudice
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Julia Lechinger
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Malgorzata Wislowska
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Dominik P J Heib
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Kerstin Hoedlmoser
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Manuel Schabus
- University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS), University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Real RGL, Kotchoubey B, Kübler A. Studentized continuous wavelet transform (t-CWT) in the analysis of individual ERPs: real and simulated EEG data. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:279. [PMID: 25309308 PMCID: PMC4160090 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed at evaluating the performance of the Studentized Continuous Wavelet Transform (t-CWT) as a method for the extraction and assessment of event-related brain potentials (ERP) in data from a single subject. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of the t-CWT were assessed and compared to a variety of competing procedures using simulated EEG data at six low signal-to-noise ratios. Results show that the t-CWT combines high sensitivity and specificity with favorable PPV and NPV. Applying the t-CWT to authentic EEG data obtained from 14 healthy participants confirmed its high sensitivity. The t-CWT may thus be well suited for the assessment of weak ERPs in single-subject settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruben G L Real
- Department of Psychology I, Institute of Psychology, University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute for Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Kübler
- Department of Psychology I, Institute of Psychology, University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Fedorenko E. The role of domain-general cognitive control in language comprehension. Front Psychol 2014; 5:335. [PMID: 24803909 PMCID: PMC4009428 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
What role does domain-general cognitive control play in understanding linguistic input? Although much evidence has suggested that domain-general cognitive control and working memory resources are sometimes recruited during language comprehension, many aspects of this relationship remain elusive. For example, how frequently do cognitive control mechanisms get engaged when we understand language? And is this engagement necessary for successful comprehension? I here (a) review recent brain imaging evidence for the neural separability of the brain regions that support high-level linguistic processing vs. those that support domain-general cognitive control abilities; (b) define the space of possibilities for the relationship between these sets of brain regions; and (c) review the available evidence that constrains these possibilities to some extent. I argue that we should stop asking whether domain-general cognitive control mechanisms play a role in language comprehension, and instead focus on characterizing the division of labor between the cognitive control brain regions and the more functionally specialized language regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Fedorenko
- Psychiatry Department, Massachusetts General HospitalCharlestown, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bensch M, Martens S, Halder S, Hill J, Nijboer F, Ramos A, Birbaumer N, Bogdan M, Kotchoubey B, Rosenstiel W, Schölkopf B, Gharabaghi A. Assessing attention and cognitive function in completely locked-in state with event-related brain potentials and epidural electrocorticography. J Neural Eng 2014; 11:026006. [PMID: 24556584 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2560/11/2/026006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients in the completely locked-in state (CLIS), due to, for example, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), no longer possess voluntary muscle control. Assessing attention and cognitive function in these patients during the course of the disease is a challenging but essential task for both nursing staff and physicians. APPROACH An electrophysiological cognition test battery, including auditory and semantic stimuli, was applied in a late-stage ALS patient at four different time points during a six-month epidural electrocorticography (ECoG) recording period. Event-related cortical potentials (ERP), together with changes in the ECoG signal spectrum, were recorded via 128 channels that partially covered the left frontal, temporal and parietal cortex. MAIN RESULTS Auditory but not semantic stimuli induced significant and reproducible ERP projecting to specific temporal and parietal cortical areas. N1/P2 responses could be detected throughout the whole study period. The highest P3 ERP was measured immediately after the patient's last communication through voluntary muscle control, which was paralleled by low theta and high gamma spectral power. Three months after the patient's last communication, i.e., in the CLIS, P3 responses could no longer be detected. At the same time, increased activity in low-frequency bands and a sharp drop of gamma spectral power were recorded. SIGNIFICANCE Cortical electrophysiological measures indicate at least partially intact attention and cognitive function during sparse volitional motor control for communication. Although the P3 ERP and frequency-specific changes in the ECoG spectrum may serve as indicators for CLIS, a close-meshed monitoring will be required to define the exact time point of the transition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bensch
- Division of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery & Division of Translational Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany. Department of Computer Engineering, Wilhelm-Schickard Institute for Computer Science, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Kotchoubey B. First love does not die: a sustaining primacy effect on ERP components in an oddball paradigm. Brain Res 2014; 1556:38-45. [PMID: 24530266 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Both primacy and frequency factors belong to very powerful regulators of human cognition and behavior, but their relationship is only scarcely investigated. This study aimed to investigate the interplay of primacy and frequency effects on behavioral and electrophysiological (event-related potential, ERP) measures using an oddball paradigm. In each experiment 234 frequent (standard) and 66 rare (deviant) harmonic tones were presented. Participants either responded to stimuli with a button press (motor experiment) or counted the rare stimulus (counting experiment). Each experiment entailed two counterbalanced conditions. In the "classical" condition both standards and deviants were equally distributed across the presentation series, while in the "primacy" condition more deviants were concentrated at the beginning of the series. In the motor experiment no differences between the two conditions were obtained at the behavioral level, but the amplitude of N2 to deviants was significantly larger in the classical than primacy condition, and the same trend was obtained for the P3 component at lateral posterior sites. In the counting experiment both N2b and P3 effects were strongly reduced in the primacy condition as compared with the classical condition. Therefore, stimuli that were frequently presented in the first stimulation run were subsequently processed as "less rare", although in fact they were even rarer than in the control condition. The data indicate that the initial pattern of stimulation can substantially affect the frequency effect during the processing of subsequent stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boris Kotchoubey
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Siclherstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
De Massari D, Ruf CA, Furdea A, Matuz T, van der Heiden L, Halder S, Silvoni S, Birbaumer N. Brain communication in the locked-in state. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 136:1989-2000. [PMID: 23625062 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Patients in the completely locked-in state have no means of communication and they represent the target population for brain-computer interface research in the last 15 years. Although different paradigms have been tested and different physiological signals used, to date no sufficiently documented completely locked-in state patient was able to control a brain-computer interface over an extended time period. We introduce Pavlovian semantic conditioning to enable basic communication in completely locked-in state. This novel paradigm is based on semantic conditioning for online classification of neuroelectric or any other physiological signals to discriminate between covert (cognitive) 'yes' and 'no' responses. The paradigm comprised the presentation of affirmative and negative statements used as conditioned stimuli, while the unconditioned stimulus consisted of electrical stimulation of the skin paired with affirmative statements. Three patients with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis participated over an extended time period, one of which was in a completely locked-in state, the other two in the locked-in state. The patients' level of vigilance was assessed through auditory oddball procedures to study the correlation between vigilance level and the classifier's performance. The average online classification accuracies of slow cortical components of electroencephalographic signals were around chance level for all the patients. The use of a non-linear classifier in the offline classification procedure resulted in a substantial improvement of the accuracy in one locked-in state patient achieving 70% correct classification. A reliable level of performance in the completely locked-in state patient was not achieved uniformly throughout the 37 sessions despite intact cognitive processing capacity, but in some sessions communication accuracies up to 70% were achieved. Paradigm modifications are proposed. Rapid drop of vigilance was detected suggesting attentional variations or variations of circadian period as important factors in brain-computer interface communication with locked-in state and completely locked-in state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele De Massari
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Birbaumer N, Gallegos-Ayala G, Wildgruber M, Silvoni S, Soekadar SR. Direct Brain Control and Communication in Paralysis. Brain Topogr 2013; 27:4-11. [DOI: 10.1007/s10548-013-0282-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
28
|
Silvoni S, Cavinato M, Volpato C, Ruf CA, Birbaumer N, Piccione F. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression and stability of brain-computer interface communication. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2013; 14:390-6. [PMID: 23445258 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2013.770029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Our objective was to investigate the relationship between brain-computer interface (BCI) communication skill and disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We sought also to assess stability of BCI communication performance over time and whether it is related to the progression of neurological impairment before entering the locked-in state. A three years follow-up, BCI evaluation in a group of ALS patients (n = 24) was conducted. For a variety of reasons only three patients completed the three years follow-up. BCI communication skill and disability level, using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised, were assessed at admission and at each of the three follow-ups. Multiple non-parametric statistical methods were used to ensure reliability of the dependent variables: correlations, paired test and factor analysis of variance. Results demonstrated no significant relationship between BCI communication skill (BCI-CS) and disease evolution. The patients who performed the follow-up evaluations preserved their BCI-CS over time. Patients' age at admission correlated positively with the ability to achieve control over a BCI. In conclusion, disease evolution in ALS does not affect the ability to control a BCI for communication. BCI performance can be maintained in the different stages of the illness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Silvoni
- Department of Neurophysiology, I.R.R.C.S., S. Camillo Hospital Foundation, Via Alberoni 70, Venice, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Tzovara A, Rossetti AO, Spierer L, Grivel J, Murray MM, Oddo M, De Lucia M. Progression of auditory discrimination based on neural decoding predicts awakening from coma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 136:81-9. [PMID: 23148350 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aws264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Auditory evoked potentials are informative of intact cortical functions of comatose patients. The integrity of auditory functions evaluated using mismatch negativity paradigms has been associated with their chances of survival. However, because auditory discrimination is assessed at various delays after coma onset, it is still unclear whether this impairment depends on the time of the recording. We hypothesized that impairment in auditory discrimination capabilities is indicative of coma progression, rather than of the comatose state itself and that rudimentary auditory discrimination remains intact during acute stages of coma. We studied 30 post-anoxic comatose patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest and five healthy, age-matched controls. Using a mismatch negativity paradigm, we performed two electroencephalography recordings with a standard 19-channel clinical montage: the first within 24 h after coma onset and under mild therapeutic hypothermia, and the second after 1 day and under normothermic conditions. We analysed electroencephalography responses based on a multivariate decoding algorithm that automatically quantifies neural discrimination at the single patient level. Results showed high average decoding accuracy in discriminating sounds both for control subjects and comatose patients. Importantly, accurate decoding was largely independent of patients' chance of survival. However, the progression of auditory discrimination between the first and second recordings was informative of a patient's chance of survival. A deterioration of auditory discrimination was observed in all non-survivors (equivalent to 100% positive predictive value for survivors). We show, for the first time, evidence of intact auditory processing even in comatose patients who do not survive and that progression of sound discrimination over time is informative of a patient's chance of survival. Tracking auditory discrimination in comatose patients could provide new insight to the chance of awakening in a quantitative and automatic fashion during early stages of coma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athina Tzovara
- Electroencephalography Brain Mapping Core, Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Fingelkurts AA, Fingelkurts AA, Bagnato S, Boccagni C, Galardi G. DMN Operational Synchrony Relates to Self-Consciousness: Evidence from Patients in Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States. Open Neuroimag J 2012; 6:55-68. [PMID: 22905075 PMCID: PMC3419863 DOI: 10.2174/1874440001206010055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Revised: 05/19/2012] [Accepted: 06/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) has been consistently activated across a wide variety of self-related tasks, leading to a proposal of the DMN’s role in self-related processing. Indeed, there is limited fMRI evidence that the functional connectivity within the DMN may underlie a phenomenon referred to as self-awareness. At the same time, none of the known studies have explicitly investigated neuronal functional interactions among brain areas that comprise the DMN as a function of self-consciousness loss. To fill this gap, EEG operational synchrony analysis [1, 2] was performed in patients with severe brain injuries in vegetative and minimally conscious states to study the strength of DMN operational synchrony as a function of self-consciousness expression. We demonstrated that the strength of DMN EEG operational synchrony was smallest or even absent in patients in vegetative state, intermediate in patients in minimally conscious state and highest in healthy fully self-conscious subjects. At the same time the process of ecoupling of operations performed by neuronal assemblies that comprise the DMN was highest in patients in vegetative state, intermediate in patients in minimally conscious state and minimal in healthy fully self-conscious subjects. The DMN’s frontal EEG operational module had the strongest decrease in operational synchrony strength as a function of selfconsciousness loss, when compared with the DMN’s posterior modules. Based on these results it is suggested that the strength of DMN functional connectivity could mediate the strength of self-consciousness expression. The observed alterations similarly occurred across EEG alpha, beta1 and beta2 frequency oscillations. Presented results suggest that the EEG operational synchrony within DMN may provide an objective and accurate measure for the assessment of signs of self-(un)consciousness in these challenging patient populations. This method therefore, may complement the current diagnostic procedures for patients with severe brain injuries and, hence, the planning of a rational rehabilitation intervention.
Collapse
|
31
|
Bonfiglio L, Olcese U, Rossi B, Frisoli A, Arrighi P, Greco G, Carozzo S, Andre P, Bergamasco M, Carboncini MC. Cortical source of blink-related delta oscillations and their correlation with levels of consciousness. Hum Brain Mapp 2012; 34:2178-89. [PMID: 22431380 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2010] [Revised: 12/09/2011] [Accepted: 01/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, blink-related delta oscillations (delta BROs) have been observed in healthy subjects during spontaneous blinking at rest. Delta BROs have been linked with continuous gathering of information from the surrounding environment, which is classically attributed to the precuneus. Furthermore, fMRI studies have shown that precuneal activity is reduced or missing when consciousness is low or absent. We therefore hypothesized that the source of delta BROs in healthy subjects could be located in the precuneus and that delta BROs could be absent or reduced in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). To test these hypotheses, electroencephalographic (EEG) activity at rest was recorded in 12 healthy controls and nine patients with DOC (four vegetative states, and five minimally conscious states). Three-second-lasting EEG epochs centred on each blink instance were analyzed in both time- (BROs) and frequency domains (event-related spectral perturbation or ERSP and intertrial coherence or ITC). Cortical sources of the maximum blink-related delta power, corresponding to the positive peak of the delta BROs, were estimated by standardized Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography. In control subjects, as expected, the source of delta BROs was located in the precuneus, whereas in DOC patients, delta BROs were not recognizable and no precuneal localization was possible. Furthermore, we observed a direct relationship between spectral indexes and levels of cognitive functioning in all subjects participating in the study. This reinforces the hypothesis that delta BROs reflect neural processes linked with awareness of the self and of the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bonfiglio
- Unit of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Fingelkurts AA, Fingelkurts AA, Bagnato S, Boccagni C, Galardi G. EEG oscillatory states as neuro-phenomenology of consciousness as revealed from patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states. Conscious Cogn 2012; 21:149-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2011.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2011] [Revised: 09/30/2011] [Accepted: 10/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
33
|
The mismatch negativity (MMN)--a unique window to disturbed central auditory processing in ageing and different clinical conditions. Clin Neurophysiol 2011; 123:424-58. [PMID: 22169062 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2011.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 268] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2011] [Revised: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we review clinical research using the mismatch negativity (MMN), a change-detection response of the brain elicited even in the absence of attention or behavioural task. In these studies, the MMN was usually elicited by employing occasional frequency, duration or speech-sound changes in repetitive background stimulation while the patient was reading or watching videos. It was found that in a large number of different neuropsychiatric, neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as in normal ageing, the MMN amplitude was attenuated and peak latency prolonged. Besides indexing decreased discrimination accuracy, these effects may also reflect, depending on the specific stimulus paradigm used, decreased sensory-memory duration, abnormal perception or attention control or, most importantly, cognitive decline. In fact, MMN deficiency appears to index cognitive decline irrespective of the specific symptomatologies and aetiologies of the different disorders involved.
Collapse
|
34
|
Fingelkurts AA, Fingelkurts AA, Bagnato S, Boccagni C, Galardi G. Toward operational architectonics of consciousness: basic evidence from patients with severe cerebral injuries. Cogn Process 2011; 13:111-31. [PMID: 21984310 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-011-0416-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/19/2011] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
35
|
Lapitskaya N, Nielsen JF, Fuglsang-Frederiksen A. Robotic gait training in patients with impaired consciousness due to severe traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 2011; 25:1070-9. [PMID: 21870900 DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2011.607782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE This prospective controlled non-randomized study investigated the effects of robotic gait training on electroencephalographic (EEG) brain activity in patients with impaired consciousness due to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS Twelve TBI patients and 14 healthy controls underwent a single training session on a computer-driven gait orthosis (Lokomat®). The sensory pathways were assessed using sensory evoked potentials (SEPs). The global delta-alpha EEG power ratio (DAR) and latency of the P300 component of the event-related potentials was assessed prior to and following a training session. RESULTS Baseline measurements showed impaired SEPs in the majority of patients and significantly larger DAR in patients compared to healthy controls. Robotic gait training resulted in a reduction of the DAR in healthy subjects but not in patients. No changes were observed in P300 latencies after training in either patients or healthy controls. CONCLUSION The study showed that robotic gait training induced measurable changes in the EEG power spectrum in healthy individuals, while no changes were observed in patients with severe TBI. The absence of the EEG changes following training might be an indicator of the severity of brain dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Lapitskaya
- Research Department, Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Centre, Hammel, Denmark.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Anderson JFI, Augoustakis LV, Holmes RJ, Chambers BR. End-of-life decision-making in individuals with locked-in syndrome in the acute period after brainstem stroke. Intern Med J 2011; 40:61-5. [PMID: 19323701 DOI: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2009.01957.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Locked-in syndrome (LIS) is commonly associated with a poor prognosis, particularly if the aetiology is stroke. Dealing with individuals with LIS and a poor prognosis raises the issue of introducing end-of-life discussions with the patient and/or family in the acute period of the illness. Existing literature regarding LIS provides little guidance about end-of-life decision-making in the acute management phase. We aim to provide some guidance for clinicians holding end-of-life discussions in the acute management period. We report two cases of relatively young individuals with LIS secondary to brainstem stroke. Both cases had a very poor prognosis and end-of-life discussions were commenced by the treating team in the acute phase. Despite the severity of their conditions, in neither case were end-of-life discussions well tolerated by the family in the weeks following admission. We suggest that LIS patients and their families, who have chosen to persist with full medical management after diagnosis of LIS, should be provided with sufficient time to adjust to the catastrophic changes that have occurred before further end-of-life discussions are pursued. Education and support are likely to be highly beneficial in the acute period post stroke as they allow the patient and family to develop a realistic understanding of the likely outcomes of their decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J F I Anderson
- Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Höller Y, Bergmann J, Kronbichler M, Crone JS, Schmid EV, Golaszewski S, Ladurner G. Preserved oscillatory response but lack of mismatch negativity in patients with disorders of consciousness. Clin Neurophysiol 2011; 122:1744-54. [PMID: 21377413 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2011.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2010] [Revised: 01/31/2011] [Accepted: 02/07/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The diagnostic validity of non-phase-locked oscillations (NPLOs) and mismatch negativity (MMN) in an oddball task for assessing attentional reactivity in patients with disordered consciousness was examined. METHODS Patients in a minimally conscious (MCS, n = 6) or vegetative (VS, n = 16) state and healthy controls (n = 15) were assessed. MMN and NPLOs were analyzed with single-subject, non-parametric statistics. RESULTS In 11 healthy controls and 2 VS patients, MMN was detected. More subjects showed NPLO differences in the alpha than in the theta or beta frequency ranges. In 14 healthy controls, 4 MCS patients, and 5 VS patients, lower amplitudes after deviants were found in the alpha frequency range. One healthy subject and one VS patient showed higher amplitudes after deviants. CONCLUSIONS Neither ERPs nor NPLOs could reliably distinguish MCS from VS patients. However, NPLOs were more sensitive than ERPs for detecting significantly different activity, and they possibly identified preserved processing better than ERPs. SIGNIFICANCE Intact neurophysiological attentional responses observed in the NPLOs of VS patients may indicate a need for other diagnostic techniques. Inter-individual differences in the direction of the effect should be considered as normal variance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Höller
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neurocognitive Research, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Seel RT, Sherer M, Whyte J, Katz DI, Giacino JT, Rosenbaum AM, Hammond FM, Kalmar K, Pape TLB, Zafonte R, Biester RC, Kaelin D, Kean J, Zasler N. Assessment Scales for Disorders of Consciousness: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Clinical Practice and Research. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2010; 91:1795-813. [PMID: 21112421 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2010.07.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 406] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2010] [Revised: 07/16/2010] [Accepted: 07/19/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
39
|
Machado C. Diagnosis of brain death. Neurol Int 2010; 2:e2. [PMID: 21577338 PMCID: PMC3093212 DOI: 10.4081/ni.2010.e2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2009] [Revised: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain death (BD) should be understood as the ultimate clinical expression of a brain catastrophe characterized by a complete and irreversible neurological stoppage, recognized by irreversible coma, absent brainstem reflexes, and apnea. The most common pattern is manifested by an elevation of intracranial pressure to a point beyond the mean arterial pressure, and hence cerebral perfusion pressure falls and, as a result, no net cerebral blood flow is present, in due course leading to permanent cytotoxic injury of the intracranial neuronal tissue. A second mechanism is an intrinsic injury affecting the nervous tissue at a cellular level which, if extensive and unremitting, can also lead to BD. We review here the methodology of diagnosing death, based on finding any of the signs of death. The irreversible loss of cardio-circulatory and respiratory functions can cause death only when ischemia and anoxia are prolonged enough to produce an irreversible destruction of the brain. The sign of such loss of brain functions, that is to say BD diagnosis, is fully reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calixto Machado
- Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Havana, Cuba
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abstract
The diagnosis and management of patients with persistent vegetative (PVS) and minimally conscious (MCS) states entail powerful medical, ethical and legal debates. The recent description of the MCS highlights the crucial role of unexpected and well-documented recoveries of cognitive functions. Functional neuroimaging has provided new insights for assessing neuropathology and cerebral activity in these patients, providing information on the presence, degree, and location of any residual brain function in patients with PVS or MCS. We present a review on this topic, emphasizing the clinical and neuroimaging assessment of these states, with some of our recent results in this area. We conclude that the development of rehabilitation techniques for patients with PVS and others suffering long-lasting effects of brain injury is a crucial challenge for actual and future generations of neuroscientists.
Collapse
|
41
|
Gawryluk JR, D'Arcy RCN, Connolly JF, Weaver DF. Improving the clinical assessment of consciousness with advances in electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques. BMC Neurol 2010; 10:11. [PMID: 20113490 PMCID: PMC2828440 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2377-10-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2009] [Accepted: 01/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In clinical neurology, a comprehensive understanding of consciousness has been regarded as an abstract concept - best left to philosophers. However, times are changing and the need to clinically assess consciousness is increasingly becoming a real-world, practical challenge. Current methods for evaluating altered levels of consciousness are highly reliant on either behavioural measures or anatomical imaging. While these methods have some utility, estimates of misdiagnosis are worrisome (as high as 43%) - clearly this is a major clinical problem. The solution must involve objective, physiologically based measures that do not rely on behaviour. This paper reviews recent advances in physiologically based measures that enable better evaluation of consciousness states (coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, and locked in syndrome). Based on the evidence to-date, electroencephalographic and neuroimaging based assessments of consciousness provide valuable information for evaluation of residual function, formation of differential diagnoses, and estimation of prognosis.
Collapse
|
42
|
Gutiérrez J, Machado C, Estévez M, Olivares A, Hernández H, Perez J, Beltrán C, Leisman G. Heart rate variability changes induced by auditory stimulation in persistent vegetative state. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1515/ijdhd.2010.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
43
|
Leon-Carrion J, Martin-Rodriguez JF, Damas-Lopez J, Y Martin JMB, Dominguez-Morales MDR. A QEEG index of level of functional dependence for people sustaining acquired brain injury: The Seville Independence Index (SINDI). Brain Inj 2009; 22:61-74. [DOI: 10.1080/02699050701824143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
44
|
Recognition of affective prosody in brain-damaged patients and healthy controls: A neurophysiological study using EEG and whole-head MEG. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2009; 9:153-67. [DOI: 10.3758/cabn.9.2.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
45
|
|
46
|
Coleman MR, Bekinschtein T, Monti MM, Owen AM, Pickard JD. A multimodal approach to the assessment of patients with disorders of consciousness. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2009; 177:231-48. [PMID: 19818905 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(09)17716-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Unlike other neurological conditions, the heterogeneous pathology linked to disorders of consciousness currently excludes a distinction between the vegetative and minimally conscious states based upon pathological presentation. The clinical assessment is therefore made on the basis of the patient's clinical history and exhibited behaviour. This creates a particular challenge for the clinician who has to decide whether a certain behaviour, which might be inconsistent or incomplete, reflects a conscious or an unconscious process. In an alarmingly high number of cases, identified during clinical audit, this decision process has been shown to be particularly fallible. The behavioural assessment is not only highly subjective, but also dependent upon the ability of the patient to move or speak; it is the only way someone can demonstrate they are aware. To address this problem we propose a multimodal approach, which integrates objective tools, such as electrophysiology and functional brain imaging, with traditional behavioural scales. Together this approach informs the clinical decision process and resolves many of the dilemmas faced by clinicians interpreting solely behavioural indices. This approach not only provides objective information regarding the integrity of residual cognitive function, but also removes the dependency on the patient to move or speak by using specially designed paradigms that do not require a motor output in order to reveal awareness of self or environment. To demonstrate this approach we describe the case of BW, who sustained a traumatic brain injury seven months prior to investigation. BW was admitted to a five-day assessment programme, which implemented our multimodal approach. On behavioural assessment BW demonstrated evidence of orientation and visual pursuit. However, he showed no response to written or verbal command, despite holding command cards and scanning text. Electrophysiology confirmed that he retained a preserved neural axis supporting vision and hearing, and suggested some evidence that he was able to create a basic memory trace. A hierarchical fMRI auditory paradigm suggested he was able to perceive sound and speech, but revealed no evidence of speech comprehension or ability to respond to command. This was corroborated in the visual modality using a hierarchical paradigm demonstrating that he was able to perceive motion, objects and faces, but retained no evidence of being able to respond to command. We briefly review work by other teams advocating the use of brain imaging and electrophysiology and discuss the steps that are now required in order to create an international standard for the assessment of persons with impaired consciousness after brain injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M R Coleman
- Impaired Consciousness Research Group, Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Iversen I, Ghanayim N, Kübler A, Neumann N, Birbaumer N, Kaiser J. Conditional associative learning examined in a paralyzed patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using brain-computer interface technology. Behav Brain Funct 2008; 4:53. [PMID: 19025641 PMCID: PMC2599893 DOI: 10.1186/1744-9081-4-53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2008] [Accepted: 11/24/2008] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Brain-computer interface methodology based on self-regulation of slow-cortical potentials (SCPs) of the EEG (electroencephalogram) was used to assess conditional associative learning in one severely paralyzed, late-stage ALS patient. After having been taught arbitrary stimulus relations, he was evaluated for formation of equivalence classes among the trained stimuli. Methods A monitor presented visual information in two targets. The method of teaching was matching to sample. Three types of stimuli were presented: signs (A), colored disks (B), and geometrical shapes (C). The sample was one type, and the choice was between two stimuli from another type. The patient used his SCP to steer a cursor to one of the targets. A smiley was presented as a reward when he hit the correct target. The patient was taught A-B and B-C (sample – comparison) matching with three stimuli of each type. Tests for stimulus equivalence involved the untaught B-A, C-B, A-C, and C-A relations. An additional test was discrimination between all three stimuli of one equivalence class presented together versus three unrelated stimuli. The patient also had sessions with identity matching using the same stimuli. Results The patient showed high accuracy, close to 100%, on identity matching and could therefore discriminate the stimuli and control the cursor correctly. Acquisition of A-B matching took 11 sessions (of 70 trials each) and had to be broken into simpler units before he could learn it. Acquisition of B-C matching took two sessions. The patient passed all equivalence class tests at 90% or higher. Conclusion The patient may have had a deficit in acquisition of the first conditional association of signs and colored disks. In contrast, the patient showed clear evidence that A-B and B-C training had resulted in formation of equivalence classes. The brain-computer interface technology combined with the matching to sample method is a useful way to assess various cognitive abilities of severely paralyzed patients, who are without reliable motor control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ih Iversen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
A brain–computer interface tool to assess cognitive functions in completely paralyzed patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clin Neurophysiol 2008; 119:2214-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2008] [Revised: 05/19/2008] [Accepted: 07/05/2008] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
49
|
Smart CM, Giacino JT, Cullen T, Moreno DR, Hirsch J, Schiff ND, Gizzi M. A case of locked-in syndrome complicated by central deafness. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 4:448-53. [PMID: 18506168 DOI: 10.1038/ncpneuro0823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2007] [Accepted: 04/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A 53-year-old male with a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and factor V deficiency presented to an emergency room with progressively increasing headache, slurred speech, and left upper extremity weakness. Over the previous 3 months, he had been receiving warfarin for prophylaxis of deep venous thrombosis following knee surgery. After presentation and an initial period of coma, he became tetraplegic and anarthric, requiring intubation and ventilatory assistance. INVESTIGATIONS Neurological examination, CT scan, electroencephalogram, brainstem auditory and visual evoked potential studies, neuropsychological assessment and functional MRI studies. DIAGNOSIS Locked-in syndrome following ventral pontine hemorrhage, complicated by central deafness secondary to extension of the lesion to the inferior colliculus. MANAGEMENT Development of an augmentative communication system designed to exploit the patient's preserved cognitive and motor functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colette M Smart
- New Jersey Neuroscience Institute, JFK Medical Center, 65 James Street, Edison, NJ 08818, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
|