The relationship between coma near coma, disability ratings, and event-related potentials in patients with disorders of consciousness: a semantic association task.

The present research explored the relationship between different measures of disorders of consciousness (DOC), that is electrophysiological measures (ERP N400, event-related potentials) and clinical measures (Coma Near Coma, CNC; Disability Rating Scale, DRS). This analysis aimed to verify the preservation of semantic linguistic processes in eighteen patients with DOC. Patients in minimally conscious state (MCS) and in vegetative state (VS) were compared with respect of N400 amplitude and latency measures.

Disorders of consciousness and N400 ERP measures in response to a semantic task.

Disorders of consciousness (DOC) have been studied in recent years. In the present research, electrophysiological measures (ERPs) were used to verify the preservation of semantic linguistic processes in vegetative states (VS) and minimal-consciousness state (MCS). Eighteen patients classified as VS or MCS, and 20 controls were submitted to a semantic associative task with congruous or incongruous word sequences (auditory stimuli).