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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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Plosnić G, Raguž M, Deletis V, Chudy D. Dysfunctional connectivity as a neurophysiologic mechanism of disorders of consciousness: a systematic review. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1166187. [PMID: 37539385 PMCID: PMC10394244 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1166187] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Disorders of consciousness (DOC) has been an object of numbers of research regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in last few decades. We believe that the DOC could be considered as a disconnection syndrome, although the exact mechanisms are not entirely understood. Moreover, different conceptual frameworks highly influence results interpretation. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the current knowledge regarding neurophysiological mechanisms of DOC and to establish possible influence on future clinical implications and usage. Methods We have conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines through PubMed and Cochrane databases, with studies being selected for inclusion via a set inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results Eighty-nine studies were included in this systematic review according to the selected criteria. This includes case studies, randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, and observational studies with no control arms. The total number of DOC patients encompassed in the studies cited in this review is 1,533. Conclusion Connectomics and network neuroscience offer quantitative frameworks for analysing dynamic brain connectivity. Functional MRI studies show evidence of abnormal connectivity patterns and whole-brain topological reorganization, primarily affecting sensory-related resting state networks (RSNs), confirmed by EEG studies. As previously described, DOC patients are identified by diminished global information processing, i.e., network integration and increased local information processing, i.e., network segregation. Further studies using effective connectivity measurement tools instead of functional connectivity as well as the standardization of the study process are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Plosnić
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marina Raguž
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vedran Deletis
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Darko Chudy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Galiotta V, Quattrociocchi I, D'Ippolito M, Schettini F, Aricò P, Sdoia S, Formisano R, Cincotti F, Mattia D, Riccio A. EEG-based Brain-Computer Interfaces for people with Disorders of Consciousness: Features and applications. A systematic review. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:1040816. [PMID: 36545350 PMCID: PMC9760911 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1040816] [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: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) are clinical conditions following a severe acquired brain injury (ABI) characterized by absent or reduced awareness, known as coma, Vegetative State (VS)/Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (VS/UWS), and Minimally Conscious State (MCS). Misdiagnosis rate between VS/UWS and MCS is attested around 40% due to the clinical and behavioral fluctuations of the patients during bedside consciousness assessments. Given the large body of evidence that some patients with DoC possess "covert" awareness, revealed by neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques, they are candidates for intervention with brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Objectives The aims of the present work are (i) to describe the characteristics of BCI systems based on electroencephalography (EEG) performed on DoC patients, in terms of control signals adopted to control the system, characteristics of the paradigm implemented, classification algorithms and applications (ii) to evaluate the performance of DoC patients with BCI. Methods The search was conducted on Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. The PRISMA guidelines were followed in order to collect papers published in english, testing a BCI and including at least one DoC patient. Results Among the 527 papers identified with the first run of the search, 27 papers were included in the systematic review. Characteristics of the sample of participants, behavioral assessment, control signals employed to control the BCI, the classification algorithms, the characteristics of the paradigm, the applications and performance of BCI were the data extracted from the study. Control signals employed to operate the BCI were: P300 (N = 19), P300 and Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEP; hybrid system, N = 4), sensorimotor rhythms (SMRs; N = 5) and brain rhythms elicited by an emotional task (N = 1), while assessment, communication, prognosis, and rehabilitation were the possible applications of BCI in DoC patients. Conclusion Despite the BCI is a promising tool in the management of DoC patients, supporting diagnosis and prognosis evaluation, results are still preliminary, and no definitive conclusions may be drawn; even though neurophysiological methods, such as BCI, are more sensitive to covert cognition, it is suggested to adopt a multimodal approach and a repeated assessment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Galiotta
- Neuroelectric Imaging and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy,Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Quattrociocchi
- Neuroelectric Imaging and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy,Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering “Antonio Ruberti”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia D'Ippolito
- Neuroelectric Imaging and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy,*Correspondence: Mariagrazia D'Ippolito
| | - Francesca Schettini
- Neuroelectric Imaging and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy,Servizio di Ausilioteca per la Riabilitazione Assistita con Tecnologia, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Aricò
- Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering “Antonio Ruberti”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy,Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy,BrainSigns srl, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Sdoia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Formisano
- Neurorehabilitation 2 and Post-Coma Unit, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Febo Cincotti
- Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering “Antonio Ruberti”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Donatella Mattia
- Neuroelectric Imaging and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy,Servizio di Ausilioteca per la Riabilitazione Assistita con Tecnologia, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Riccio
- Neuroelectric Imaging and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy,Servizio di Ausilioteca per la Riabilitazione Assistita con Tecnologia, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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Monitoring Eye Movements Depending on the Type of Visual Stimulus in Patients with Impaired Consciousness Due to Brain Damage. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106280. [PMID: 35627817 PMCID: PMC9140856 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The eyeballs are often the only way to communicate messages as a result of brain damage. However, it is not uncommon for them to become dysfunctional, thus requiring the introduction of appropriate therapy. The trajectory of eye movements (saccadic movements and gaze fixation) during observation of a static and dynamic point presented with an eye tracker was analyzed in the present study. Twelve patients with brain injury of different etiology, with different degrees of consciousness disorders and not communicating through verbal and motor skills, qualified for the study. All participants demonstrated greater eye movement activity when presented with a dynamic task in which they observed a moving point. The findings suggest that effective eye movement therapy must incorporate dynamic stimuli.
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