Disorders of consciousness

Question 1

Brain death

Answer 1

Nill cranial responses
Flat EEG (sometimes only heartbeat visible (ECG))
SSEP (N20) response gone

Question 2

Locked in syndrome

Answer 2

Trauma of basilar artery at level of the pons

Nerves below the fifth damaged, can’t move

Smell, vision, hearing and sensations remain in tact

Question 3

Coma

Answer 3

Burst suppression EEG (flat with high voltage bursts)

Little to no response/consciousness

Glasgow scale betw. 3-5

Most people die, some get in VS

Question 4

Persistent vegetative state (PVS)

Answer 4

Anoxic/traumatic brain injury

Aka unresponsive wakefulness syndrome

Possibly improves, most stay this way.

Show responses and can cry etc. But no communication/personality

Question 5

fMRI scans

Answer 5

some PVS patients showed response in brain pattern. Made difference between for example own name vs other name.

Also intructed mentalization, used it to answer yes/no

Question 6

Claustrum OFF switch

Answer 6

Experiment w epilepsy patients.

Electrical stimulation caused the patients to shut down (controversial, could be due to epileptic zone)

Is also seen in animals though, where certain defence mechanism can be turned on. = Tonic immobility