Light Therapy in Disorders of Consciousness: Behavioral, Neuroimaging and (Neuro)Physiological Assessments.

Luminothérapie Chez Les Patients présentant un état de la Conscience altérée: évaluations Comportementale, de Neuroimagerie et (Neuro)Physiologique.

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled project, the investigators would like to assess the effect of a specific light, as compared to placebo light, on wakefulness (circadian rhythms, homeostasy, sleep-wake cycle), awareness (perceptual and self consciousness), cognition (attention, memory) and underlying brain activity (electrophysiology and neuroimaging)

The investigators will use behavioral (CRS-R, CAP, actimeter, brainstem reflexes), physiological (body core temperature, saliva, urine, heart rate, blood sample), neuroimaging and neurophysiological tools (PET, fMRI, TMS-EEG, resting-state and auditory paradigm EEG) before, during and after treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• disorder of consciousness
• 6 weeks post-injury

Exclusion Criteria:

• dysautonomia
• acute illnesses (infections with fever)
• medication that is known to affect circadian rhythmicity (melatonin)
• uncorrected sensorial deficits or documented history of significant neurological, neurosurgical, developpemental or psychiatric disorders
• previously known cerebral lesions prior to the brain's insult that lead to disorder of consciousness
• any contraindication to MRI, EEG, TMS-EEG, or PET (e.g., electronic implanted devices, active epilepsy, external ventricular drain)
• not medically stable