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Disorders of Consciousness: Coma, Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States

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States of Consciousness

Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection ((FRONTCOLL))

Abstract

Consciousness can be defined by two components: arousal and awareness. Disorders of consciousness (DOC) are characterized by a disrupted relationship between these two components. Coma is described by the absence of arousal and, hence, of awareness whereas the vegetative state is defined by recovery of arousal in the absence of any sign of awareness. In the minimally conscious state, patients show preserved arousal level and exhibit discernible but fluctuating signs of awareness. The study of DOC offers unique insights to the neural correlates of consciousness. We here review the challenges posed by the clinical examination of DOC patients and discuss the contribution of functional neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques to the bedside assessment of consciousness. These studies raise important issues not only from a clinical and ethical perspective (i.e. diagnosis, prognosis and management of DOC patients) but also from a neuroscientific standpoint, as they enrich our current understanding of the emergence and function of the conscious mind.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Belgian National Funds for Scientific Research (FNRS), the European Commission (CATIA, DISCOS, MINDBRIDGE, DECODER), the James McDonnell Foundation, the Mind Science Foundation, the French Speaking Community Concerted Research Action, the Foundation Médicale Reine Elisabeth and the University and University Hospital of Liège.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coma Science Group, Neurology Department and Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Sart Tilman-B30, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Olivia Gosseries, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Marie-Aurélie Bruno, Athena Demertzi, Caroline Schnakers, Mélanie M. Boly, Audrey Maudoux & Steven Laureys

  2. Department of Neurology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    Gustave Moonen & Steven Laureys

Authors
  1. Olivia Gosseries
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  2. Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse
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  3. Marie-Aurélie Bruno
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  4. Athena Demertzi
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  5. Caroline Schnakers
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  6. Mélanie M. Boly
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  7. Audrey Maudoux
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  8. Gustave Moonen
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  9. Steven Laureys
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven Laureys .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical, and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Dean Cvetkovic

  2. Portfolio Science, Engineering &, Technology, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Irena Cosic

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Gosseries, O. et al. (2011). Disorders of Consciousness: Coma, Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States. In: Cvetkovic, D., Cosic, I. (eds) States of Consciousness. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18047-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18047-7_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-18046-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18047-7

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

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