Active clinical trials for "Consciousness Disorders"

Limited treatments are available to improve consciousness in severely brain injured patients. Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is one of the few therapeutics that showed evidence of efficacy to increase level of consciousness and functional communication in some Minimally Conscious State (MCS) patients, and in some Vegetative State (VS) patients. However the mechanisms by which tDCS improves consciousness are poorly understood and the electrophysiological effects of such a stimulation have never been studied in disorders of consciousness patients. In this study, the investigators will use detailed clinical examinations and electrophysiological assessments (quantitative high-density EEG and event-related potentials) to assess the effect of a open-label single session of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tDCS stimulation administered as routine care.

The purpose of this study is to characterize and improve pain and nociception management in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). This project is divided into two phases, a first phase to evaluate pain level and a second phase which consist of a clinical trial to evalute pain medication efficacy. The main aim is to evaluate the use of the Nociception Coma Scale-Revised (NCS-R) and its cut-off score (i.e., 5) as an assessment and management tool to define guidelines for managing pain in patients with DOC. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, we will evaluate the use of analgesic treatments in reducing pain in subacute/chronic patients. The project will also allow us to validate the NCS-R cut-off score defined previously.

Preferred music improves cognitive function in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). However, it is still unknown whether it is a general effect of music (because of its acoustic features) or an autobiographical effect (because of its emotional and meaningful contents). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of sensory modality (auditory versus olfactory) and preference (preferred versus neutral) of the testing context on the performance of four items from the coma recovery scale-revised

The aim of the study, which was planned in the experimental design type, was to determine the effect of the mindfulness-based stress reduction training on nurses' job stress. The sample of the study consisted of 70 nurses (35 in the experimental group, 35 in the control group) working in a university hospital in Çanakkale. The mindfulness-based stress reduction training was carried out as a group, once a week, for 8 weeks in total.

Pain, confusion, and breaks in normal sleep cycles have been challenges commonly faced by patients after undergoing joint surgeries. To address these issues, melatonin, an inexpensive over-the-counter supplement, has shown in previous to help manage sleep disorders, prevent and treat post-operative confusion in patients over 70 years of age, and reduce pain. The purpose of this study is to establish whether melatonin can aid in reducing pain and post-operative confusion and improve sleep quality after total knee replacement

The present observational study is aimed at reporting the short-, mid- and long-term outcomes of patients with Disorder of Consciousness (DOC), in Vegetative State (VS) or Minimally Conscious State (MCS), due to a severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI), after repeated treatments with anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (L-DLPFC), to stimulate recovery of consciousness. The results obtained will also be compared with those of a historical control cohort, before the introduction of tDCS, matched for demographic and clinical characteristics.

In response to "conscious" EEG findings related to detectable cognitive function that reliably denote awareness in vegetative state patients, in the current study, we will assess the covert conscious EEG activity (as well as standard clinical overt measures) and neuroplasctic propensity (i.e., changes in EEG spectral power synchronization values following tDCS intervention) in vegetative-state patients receiving repetitive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment over frontal motor areas for a period of two weeks. In support of this approach, a recent tDCS study with vegetative and minimally conscious patients implied that a twenty minutes anodal stimulation (i.e., excitatory stimulation) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) significantly increased CRS-R scores versus sham (placebo: non-active stimulation) stimulation condition. It was noted that this tDCS effect was more pronounced in minimally conscious state patients versus vegetative state patients excluding effects of chronicity or etiology. Thus, the investigators in this study suggested that tDCS could be effective in improving cognitive recovery in severely brain-injured patients. However, their findings would benefit neural activation correlates that could support their conclusion regarding the effectiveness of this type of non-invasive intervention in promoting neurocognitive recovery. Most importantly, tDCS is safe for use in humans, has no adverse effects, is considered the most non-invasive transcranial stimulation method because it uses extremely weak currents (0.5 to 2 mA), and, is known to only temporarily shift the neuron's membrane potential towards excitation/inhibition. In regard to the method's potential to induce functional recovery in vegetative state patients, recent clinical studies indicate that tDCS could counteract the negative effects of brain damage by influencing neurophysiological mechanisms, and is likely to contribute to the "formation of functionally meaningful connections and the maintenance of existing pathways" .

This is a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the IBRF ACP/MCP intervention protocol in patients with severe disorders of consciousness (SDOC).

Transcranial magnetic stimulation involves the use of alternating magnetic fields to stimulate neurons in the brain.To date, several studies have focused on the use of TMS in patients with impaired consciousness.However,its therapeutic effects have been variously documented.So,in this study ,investigators explore the effects of rTMS with cross-over design.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) at theta frequency and the the effect of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on the conscious state of non-communicating patients. tACS and tDCS are non-invasive stimulation techniques that are used to induce brain oscillations at certain frequency or to increase the brain activity in applied region. Limited treatments are available to improve consciousness in severely brain injured patients. Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is one of the few therapeutics that showed evidence of efficacy to increase level of consciousness and functional communication in some Minimally Conscious State (MCS) patients, and in some Vegetative State (VS) patients. However the optimal intensity of electrical current stimulation remains unknown and transcranial Alternative Current Stimulation (tACS), with the ability to stimulate cortex at specific frequencies and to manipulate phase-synchrony between regions is a promising techniques to improve patients' consciousness. In this study, the investigators will use prefrontal tDCS and theta tACS to improve patients consciousness level.