Personalized Objects Can Improve the Diagnosis of EMCS From MCS

In this study，researchers will use personalized objects to assess patients' level of consciousness in chronic patients in minimally conscious state (MCS).

The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) is an important tool for the assessment of behaviors in DOC.Clinical practice has shown that self-referential stimuli, such as the patient's own name and face, are more effective to elicit the patient's response than that of non-self-referential stimuli. The item "Functional Object Use" was assessed by using personalized objects (e.g., cigarette, paper) and non-personalized objects, which presented in a random order.The rest assessments were performed following the standard protocol of CRS-R. The differences between functional use of the two types of objects was analyzed by Chi-square test. Researchers expected to see some of the patients in MCS are re-diagnosed as EMCS with the using of personalized objects.

The item "Functional Object Use" was assessed by using personalized objects (e.g., cigarette, paper) and non-personalized objects, which presented in a random order..

The frequency of behavioral response elicited by the stimuli suggested by CRS-R scale and the personalized stimuli they prefer

Inclusion Criteria: patients in minimally conscious state; patients with stable condition; each patient has athletic ability to some extent. Exclusion Criteria: premorbid neurology antecedent; patients in coma or vegetative state; patients < 1 months after the acute brain injury.

Sun Y, Wang J, Heine L, Huang W, Wang J, Hu N, Hu X, Fang X, Huang S, Laureys S, Di H. Personalized objects can optimize the diagnosis of EMCS in the assessment of functional object use in the CRS-R: a double blind, randomized clinical trial. BMC Neurol. 2018 Apr 12;18(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s12883-018-1040-5.