Conference in French : Consciousness emergence from coma: the state of the science
by Dr. Stein SILVA (MD, PhD)
9 January 2017 - 9 January 2017
France
Summary
The concept of consciousness continues to defy definition and elude the grasp of philosophical and scientific effort to formulate a testable framework for conscious experience. Severe acquired brain injury results in the dissolution of consciousness providing a lesional model from which key insights about the emergence of human consciousness may be drawn. In the clinical setting, specialist faces the challenge of detecting and monitor consciousness recovery, in brain-injured patients who are initially unable to communicative through word or gesture.
Findings from neuroimaging and electrophysiology have garnered scientific and clinical attention in light of increased evidence that they can detect active cognitive processing, and identify the structural and functional brain architecture changes that are related to pathological loss of consciousness. We will provide an overview that describe the state of the science of this research, with regard to potential clinical implication for the management of comatose patients and the bioethical issues that are unique to this population.
References
Silva S. et al., Disruption of posteromedial large-scale neural communication predicts recovery from coma, Neurology® 2015;85:1–9.
Silva S. et al., Wakefulness and loss of awareness Brain and brainstem interaction in the vegetative state, Neurology® 2010;74:313–320.
Prédire la sortie du coma grâce à l’imagerie Cérébrale, Le Monde.fr 11.11.2015.
The concept of consciousness continues to defy definition and elude the grasp of philosophical and scientific effort to formulate a testable framework for conscious experience. Severe acquired brain injury results in the dissolution of consciousness providing a lesional model from which key insights about the emergence of human consciousness may be drawn. In the clinical setting, specialist faces the challenge of detecting and monitor consciousness recovery, in brain-injured patients who are initially unable to communicative through word or gesture.
Findings from neuroimaging and electrophysiology have garnered scientific and clinical attention in light of increased evidence that they can detect active cognitive processing, and identify the structural and functional brain architecture changes that are related to pathological loss of consciousness. We will provide an overview that describe the state of the science of this research, with regard to potential clinical implication for the management of comatose patients and the bioethical issues that are unique to this population.
References
Silva S. et al., Disruption of posteromedial large-scale neural communication predicts recovery from coma, Neurology® 2015;85:1–9.
Silva S. et al., Wakefulness and loss of awareness Brain and brainstem interaction in the vegetative state, Neurology® 2010;74:313–320.
Prédire la sortie du coma grâce à l’imagerie Cérébrale, Le Monde.fr 11.11.2015.
Keywords
Coma, consciousness emergence