Measuring Consciousness in the Intensive Care Unit

Brian L Edlow; Matteo Fecchio; Yelena G Bodien; Angela Comanducci; Mario Rosanova; Silvia Casarotto; Michael J Young; Jian Li; Darin D Dougherty; Christof Koch; Giulio Tononi; Marcello Massimini; Melanie Boly

doi:10.1007/s12028-023-01706-4

Measuring Consciousness in the Intensive Care Unit

Neurocrit Care. 2023 Jun;38(3):584-590. doi: 10.1007/s12028-023-01706-4. Epub 2023 Apr 8.

Authors

Brian L Edlow^{1

2}, Matteo Fecchio³, Yelena G Bodien^{3

4}, Angela Comanducci^{5

6}, Mario Rosanova⁷, Silvia Casarotto^{5

7}, Michael J Young³, Jian Li^{3

8}, Darin D Dougherty^{8

9}, Christof Koch^{10

11}, Giulio Tononi¹², Marcello Massimini^{5

7}, Melanie Boly¹³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. bedlow@mgh.harvard.edu.
² Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA. bedlow@mgh.harvard.edu.
³ Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
⁵ IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, Milan, Italy.
⁶ Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy.
⁷ Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
⁸ Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
¹⁰ MindScope Program, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
¹¹ Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
¹² Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
¹³ Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.

Abstract

Early reemergence of consciousness predicts long-term functional recovery for patients with severe brain injury. However, tools to reliably detect consciousness in the intensive care unit are lacking. Transcranial magnetic stimulation electroencephalography has the potential to detect consciousness in the intensive care unit, predict recovery, and prevent premature withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy.

Keywords: Coma; Complexity; Consciousness; Transcranial magnetic stimulation electroencephalography (TMS-EEG).

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Consciousness Disorders / diagnosis
Consciousness Disorders / therapy
Consciousness* / physiology
Electroencephalography
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding