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Coma and Disorders of Consciousness pp 25–34Cite as

Functional Imaging and Impaired Consciousness

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Abstract

Categorizing disorders of consciousness patients into the correct diagnostic syndrome is essential in determining prognosis and thus for accurate neurological management. Unfortunately, these patients are hardly distinguishable by means of behavioral testing alone, because they can be totally or partially aware, but unable to clearly produce appropriate motor outputs other than reflexive movements, as fluctuations of alertness. Sensory-motor impairments, use of drugs and severe general clinical conditions can strongly limit or mask the repertoire of their motor responses. All these reasons explain the high percentage of misdiagnosis, although several standardized neurobehavioral rating scales have been developed. Neuroimaging strategies cannot replace clinical evaluation, nevertheless they can describe objectively how deviant from normal patients’ cerebral activity is under various conditions of stimulation, at rest and during an active participation in simple tasks.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Center, University of Liège, Allée du 6 Août, Sart Tilman B30, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse Ph.D., Melanie Boly M.D., Ph.D., Marie-Aurélie Bruno Ph.D., Olivia Gosseries M.Sc., Athena Demertzi M.Sc., Murielle Kirsch M.D., Jean-Flory Luaba Tshibanda M.D., Marie Thonnard M.Sc., Vanessa Charland-Verville M.Sc., Camille Chatelle, Aurore Thibaut, Steven Laureys M.D., Ph.D. & Andrea Soddu Ph.D.

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

    Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse Ph.D., Marie-Aurélie Bruno Ph.D., Olivia Gosseries M.Sc., Athena Demertzi M.Sc., Marie Thonnard M.Sc., Vanessa Charland-Verville M.Sc., Camille Chatelle, Aurore Thibaut & Steven Laureys M.D., Ph.D.

  3. National Fund for Scientific Research, Liège, Belgium

    Olivia Gosseries M.Sc., Camille Chatelle & Aurore Thibaut

  4. Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Murielle Kirsch M.D.

  5. Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Jean-Flory Luaba Tshibanda M.D.

Authors
  1. Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse Ph.D.
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  2. Melanie Boly M.D., Ph.D.
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  6. Murielle Kirsch M.D.
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  7. Jean-Flory Luaba Tshibanda M.D.
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  8. Marie Thonnard M.Sc.
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  11. Aurore Thibaut
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  12. Steven Laureys M.D., Ph.D.
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  13. Andrea Soddu Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Allée du 6 août 8, Liège, B-4000, Belgium

    Caroline Schnakers

  2. , Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Allée du 6 août 8, Liège, 4000, Belgium

    Steven Laureys

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag London

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Vanhaudenhuyse, A. et al. (2012). Functional Imaging and Impaired Consciousness. In: Schnakers, C., Laureys, S. (eds) Coma and Disorders of Consciousness. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2440-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2440-5_3

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2440-5

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