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Brain Topography
Published in: Brain Topography 4/2018

01-07-2018 | Original Paper

Bridging the Gap Towards Awareness Detection in Disorders of Consciousness: An Experimental Study on the Mirror Neuron System

Authors: Antonino Naro, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò, Antonino Leo, Margherita Russo, Demetrio Milardi, Antonino Cannavò, Alfredo Manuli, Antonio Buda, Carmela Casella, Placido Bramanti, Alberto Cacciola, Alessia Bramanti

Published in: Brain Topography | Issue 4/2018

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Abstract

Advanced functional neuroimaging approaches dealing with motor imagery have disclosed covert cognitive processes in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). However, motor impairment and cognitive-motor dissociation can bias such approaches. Fourteen patients with post-traumatic DoC and ten healthy controls (HC) were provided with three motor tasks related to mirror neuron system (MNS) activation (movement observation, movement execution, and passive motor imagery of a movement) while recording electroencephalographic (EEG) metrics [EEG power and Granger Casualty Index (GCI)] to detect residual signs of conscious awareness. The most relevant finding was that all HCs, all patients with Minimally Conscious State and one with Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome demonstrated an event-related synchronization in the gamma range over left frontal regions, with high GCI values, in the passive motor imagery condition. These data significantly correlated with the level of behavioral responsiveness measured by the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. Thus, our findings may indicate that motor tasks related to MNS can activate frontoparietal networks, although leading to different conscious processes. Hence, MNS assessment can be usefully employed to differentiate among patients with DoC.
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Metadata
Title
Bridging the Gap Towards Awareness Detection in Disorders of Consciousness: An Experimental Study on the Mirror Neuron System
Authors
Antonino Naro
Rocco Salvatore Calabrò
Antonino Leo
Margherita Russo
Demetrio Milardi
Antonino Cannavò
Alfredo Manuli
Antonio Buda
Carmela Casella
Placido Bramanti
Alberto Cacciola
Alessia Bramanti
Publication date
01-07-2018
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Brain Topography / Issue 4/2018
Print ISSN: 0896-0267
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6792
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-018-0628-9

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