Behavioral Signs of Consciousness Recovery in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness (DOCSIGNS)

Investigation of the Behavioral Signs of Consciousness Recovery in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness (DOCSIGNS)

Precise description of behavioral signs denoting transition from unresponsive wakefulness syndrome/vegetative state (UWS/VS) to minimally conscious state (MCS) or emergence from MCS after severe brain injury is crucial for prognostic purposes. A few studies have attempted this goal but involved either non-standardized instruments, limited temporal accuracy or samples, or focused on (sub)acute patients. The objective of this study is to describe the behavioral signs that led to a change of diagnosis, as well as the factors influencing this transition, in a large sample of patients with chronic disorders of consciousness after severe brain injury.

Inclusion Criteria:

• documented medical diagnosis of CRS-R-based diagnosis of UWS or MCS at admission to the neurorehabilitation program

Exclusion Criteria:

• none