With the continuous advancement of neuroimaging technologies, clinical research has discovered the phenomenon of cognitive-motor dissociation in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). This groundbreaking finding has provided new impetus for the development and application of brain-computer interface (BCI) in clinic. Currently, BCI has been widely applied in DoC patients as an important tool for assessing and assisting behaviorally unresponsive individuals. This paper reviews the current applications of BCI in DoC patients, focusing four main aspects including consciousness detection, auxiliary diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and rehabilitation treatment. It also provides an in-depth analysis of representative key techniques and experimental outcomes in each aspect, which include BCI paradigm designs, brain signal decoding method, and feedback mechanisms. Furthermore, the paper offers recommendations for BCI design tailored to DoC patients and discusses future directions for research and clinical practice in this field.
Humans ; Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Consciousness Disorders/physiopathology* ; Electroencephalography ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Consciousness

Clinical grading diagnosis of disorder of consciousness (DOC) patients relies on behavioral assessment, which has certain limitations. Combining multi-modal technologies and brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigms can assist in identifying patients with minimally conscious state (MCS) and vegetative state (VS). This study collected electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signals under motor BCI paradigms from 14 DOC patients, who were divided into two groups based on clinical scores: 7 in the MCS group and 7 in the VS group. We calculated event-related desynchronization (ERD) and motor decoding accuracy to analyze the effectiveness of motor BCI paradigms in detecting consciousness states. The results showed that the classification accuracies for left-hand and right-hand movement tasks using EEG were 93.28% and 76.19% for the MCS and VS groups, respectively; the classification precisions using fNIRS were 53.72% and 49.11% for these groups. When combining EEG and fNIRS features, the classification accuracies for left-hand and right-hand movement tasks in the MCS and VS groups were 95.56% and 87.38%, respectively. Although there was no statistically significant difference in motor decoding accuracy between the two groups, significant differences in ERD were observed between different consciousness states during left-hand movement tasks ( P < 0.001). This study demonstrates that motor BCI paradigms can assist in assessing the level of consciousness, with EEG being more sensitive for evaluating residual motor intention intensity. Moreover, the ERD feature of motor intention intensity is more sensitive than BCI classification accuracy.
Humans ; Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods* ; Electroencephalography/methods* ; Consciousness Disorders/diagnosis* ; Male ; Movement ; Adult ; Female ; Intention ; Persistent Vegetative State/diagnosis*

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAAS) score and the bispectral index (BIS) during propofol titration for general anesthesia induction and analyze the impact of BIS monitoring delay on anesthetic depth assessment. METHODS: This study was conducted among 90 patients (ASA class I-II) undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. For anesthesia induction, the patients received propofol titration at the rate of 0.5 mg·kg^-1·min^-1 till OAAS scores of 4, 3, 2, and 1 were reached. After achieving an OAAS score of 1, remifentanil (2 μg·kg⁻¹) and rocuronium (0.6 mg·kg⁻¹) were administered, and tracheal intubation was performed 2 min later. BIS values, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and propofol dosage at each OAAS score were recorded, and the correlation between OAAS scores and BIS values was analyzed. The diagnostic performance of BIS values for determining when the OAAS score reaches 1 was analyzed using ROC curve. RESULTS: All the patients successfully completed tracheal intubation. BIS values of the patients at each of the OAAS scores differed significantly (P<0.01), and the mean BIS value decreased by 4.08, 8.32, 5.43 and 5.24 as the OAAS score decreased from 5 to 4, from 4 to 3, from 3 to 2, and from 2 to 1, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the OAAS score and BIS values (ρ=0.775, P<0.001). The median BIS value for an OAAS score of 1 was 76, at which point 83.33% of the patients had BIS values exceeding 60. ROC curve analysis showed that for determining an OAAS score of 1, BIS value, at the optimal cutoff value of 84, had a sensitivity of 88.9%, a specificity of 73.3%, and an area under the curve of 0.842 (0.803-0.881). CONCLUSIONS OAAS score during induction of general anesthesia is strongly correlated with BIS value and is a highly sensitive and timely indicator to compensate for the delay in BIS monitoring.
Humans ; Propofol/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Anesthesia, General/methods* ; Adult ; Consciousness Monitors ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Monitoring, Intraoperative/methods* ; Electroencephalography

General anesthesia plays a significant role in modern medicine. However, the precise mechanism of general anesthesia remains unclear, posing a key scientific challenge in anesthesiology. Advances in neuroscience techniques have enabled targeted manipulation of specific neural circuits and the capture of brain-wide neural activity at high resolution. These advances hold promise for elucidating the intricate mechanisms of action of general anesthetics. This review aims to summarize our current understanding of the role of cortical and subcortical nuclei in modulating general anesthesia, providing new evidence of cortico-cortical and thalamocortical networks in relation to anesthesia and consciousness. These insights contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the neural network mechanisms underlying general anesthesia.
Humans ; Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Nerve Net/physiology* ; Cerebral Cortex/drug effects* ; Neural Pathways/drug effects* ; Thalamus/drug effects* ; Consciousness/drug effects*

Major advances have been made over the past few decades in identifying and managing disorders of consciousness (DOC) in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI), bringing the transformation from a conceptualized definition to a complex clinical scenario worthy of scientific exploration. Given the continuously-evolving framework of precision medicine that integrates valuable behavioral assessment tools, sophisticated neuroimaging, and electrophysiological techniques, a considerably higher diagnostic accuracy rate of DOC may now be reached. During the treatment of patients with DOC, a variety of intervention methods are available, including amantadine and transcranial direct current stimulation, which have both provided class II evidence, zolpidem, which is also of high quality, and non-invasive stimulation, which appears to be more encouraging than pharmacological therapy. However, heterogeneity is profoundly ingrained in study designs, and only rare schemes have been recommended by authoritative institutions. There is still a lack of an effective clinical protocol for managing patients with DOC following ABI. To advance future clinical studies on DOC, we present a comprehensive review of the progress in clinical identification and management as well as some challenges in the pathophysiology of DOC. We propose a preliminary clinical decision protocol, which could serve as an ideal reference tool for many medical institutions.
Humans ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods* ; Consciousness Disorders/etiology* ; Brain Injuries/complications* ; Consciousness ; Neuroimaging

Humans ; Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Consciousness Disorders ; Consciousness ; Electroencephalography ; Brain

OBJECTIVE: To observe the awakening effect and safety of Xingnao Kaiqiao (regaining consciousness and opening orifices) acupuncture on consciousness disorder in children with early severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) based on western medicine treatment. METHODS: A total of 62 children with STBI were randomly divided into an observation group (31 cases,1 case dropped off) and a control group (31 cases, 1 case dropped off). The control group was treated with routine rehabilitation therapy (6 times a week for 30 days), and intravenous drip of cattle encephalon glycoside and ignotin injection (once a day for 28 days). On the basis of the treatment in the control group, the observation group was treated with Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6), Shuigou (GV 26), Yintang (GV 24⁺), Baihui (GV 20), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36), etc., and supplementary acupoints according to clinical symptoms, once a day, 6 times a week for 30 days. The scores of Glasgow coma scale (GCS), coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R) and modified Barthel index (MBI) were observed before treatment and 10, 20 and 30 d into treatment. Electroencephalogram (EEG) grading before and after treatment was observed in the two groups, and safety was evaluated. RESULTS: After 10, 20 and 30 days of treatment, the scores of GCS, CRS-R and MBI in the two groups were increased compared before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, EEG grading of both groups was improved compared with that before treatment (P<0.05), and the observation group was better than the control group (P<0.05). There were no adverse events or adverse reactions in the two groups during treatment. CONCLUSION On the basis of western medicine treatment, Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture plays a remarkable role in wakening the early STBI children, can improve the level of consciousness disorder and daily living ability, and it is safe and effective.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/therapy* ; Consciousness Disorders/therapy* ; Humans ; Child

The paper explores the evolution of "bone-approaching" acupuncture, its effect target and mechanism. The concrete operation procedure of "bone-approaching" method is recorded originally in Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor) as short needling and Shu needling (referring to the category of the five needling technique). The periosteum is the most effective stimulation target of "bone-approaching" acupuncture for analgesia, regaining consciousness and regulating spirit. The "bone-approaching" acupuncture is not only prominently effective on bone bi syndrome, but also has the unique effect on painful, encephalogenic and emotional diseases. The paper summarizes and improves "bone-approaching" acupuncture, i.e. "touching bone surface" with needle tip by slow insertion, "touching bone surface" without pain by swift insertion and "touching bone" with needle body by oblique insertion. It contributes to the inheritance, development and supplementation to the bone needling techniques in Huangdi Neijing and is significant for broadening the clinical application range of acupuncture.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Periosteum ; Analgesia ; Pain Management ; Consciousness ; Pain

Neuroscientists have emphasized visceral influences on consciousness and attention, but the potential neurophysiological pathways remain under exploration. Here, we found two neurophysiological pathways of heart-brain interaction based on the relationship between oxygen-transport by red blood cells (RBCs) and consciousness/attention. To this end, we collected a dataset based on the routine physical examination, the breaking continuous flash suppression (b-CFS) paradigm, and an attention network test (ANT) in 140 immigrants under the hypoxic Tibetan environment. We combined electroencephalography and multilevel mediation analysis to investigate the relationship between RBC properties and consciousness/attention. The results showed that RBC function, via two independent neurophysiological pathways, not only triggered interoceptive re-representations in the insula and awareness connected to orienting attention but also induced an immune response corresponding to consciousness and executive control. Importantly, consciousness played a fundamental role in executive function which might be associated with the level of perceived stress. These results indicated the important role of oxygen-transport in heart-brain interactions, in which the related stress response affected consciousness and executive control. The findings provide new insights into the neurophysiological schema of heart-brain interactions.
Awareness ; Brain ; Consciousness ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Visual Perception

BACKGROUND: Reviving patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOCs) has always been focused and challenging in medical research. Owing to the limited effectiveness of available medicine, recent research has increasingly turned towards neuromodulatory therapies, involving the stimulation of neural circuits. We summarised the progression of research regarding neuromodulatory therapies in the field of DOCs, compared the differences among different studies, in an attempt to explore optimal stimulation patterns and parameters, and analyzed the major limitations of the relevant studies to facilitate future research. METHODS: We performed a search in the PubMed database, using the concepts of DOCs and neuromodulation. Inclusion criteria were: articles in English, published after 2002, and reporting clinical trials of neuromodulatory therapies in human patients with DOCs. RESULTS: Overall, 187 published articles met the search criteria, and 60 articles met the inclusion criteria. There are differences among these studies regarding the clinical efficacies of neurostimulation techniques for patients with DOCs, and large-sample studies are still lacking. CONCLUSIONS Neuromodulatory techniques were used as trial therapies for DOCs wherein their curative effects were controversial. The difficulties in detecting residual consciousness, the confounding effect between the natural course of the disease and therapeutic effect, and the heterogeneity across patients are the major limitations. Large-sample, well-designed studies, and innovations for both treatment and assessment are anticipated in future research.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Consciousness ; Consciousness Disorders/therapy* ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome