Coma and Disorders of Consciousness

In spite of medical advances and the increasing number of severely brain-injured patients, the assessment and treatment of patients recovering from coma remain challenging. For over 10 years now, the Coma Science Group has been working on the scientific exploration of disorders of consciousness, with both scientific and clinical research agendas. This book is the result of all this work. The aim is to offer both clinicians and researchers an opportunity to acquire expertise in a field which is constantly developing.

Besides diagnostic, prognostic and ethical issues, this book includes well-established findings on assessment techniques (i.e., behavioral scales, electrophysiological explorations and structural/functional neuroimaging) and treatment procedures, but also techniques under development (i.e., the use of classifiers, brain-computer interfaces, transcranial magnetic stimulation or deep brain stimulation) which will stimulate ideas for future research.

The Coma Science Group presents here a comprehensive book for readers, regardless of whether they are already familiar with the difficult but exciting field of disorders of consciousness.

• assessment
• coma
• consciousness
• diagnosis
• neurorehabilitation

From the reviews:

“This is an up-to-date, comprehensive review of research into disorders of consciousness. … The authors employ a good evidence-based approach to integrating several different aspects of this field into this book. … For researchers … this book is an up-to-date collection of information appropriate for those either already in or even just interested in the field of disorders of consciousness.” (Scott D. Spritzer, Doody’s Review Service, December, 2012)

• , Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

  Caroline Schnakers, Steven Laureys

Policies and ethics