Bedside Detection of Awareness in the Vegetative State

• 22/05/2012

Detecting signs of awareness in patients recovering from coma is still a huge challenge for clinicians. Indeed, a high rate of misdiagnosis was highlighted in this population showing that up to 40 percent of vegetative patients are in fact conscious (i.e. minimally conscious state). Clinically, the assessment of consciousness is based on behavioural responses. However, motor and verbal functions can...