Global Functional Disconnections in Post-anoxic Coma Patient

Neuroradiol J. 2011 May 15;24(2):311-5. doi: 10.1177/197140091102400222. Epub 2011 May 11.

Abstract

Disorders of consciousness have been related to different disconnection patterns as assessed by neuroimaging tools such as PET or fMRI. In this report, we use resting-state functional MRI acquisition and a functional connectivity analysis by graph of brain networks, to investigate the global residual connection pattern in a patient with consciousness disorders following post-anoxic injury. We then compare this pattern with those of a group of twenty controls. We observed that the patient's graph presents multiple disconnections in primary areas and in high-order associative areas. This pattern is consistent with a vegetative state, as reported by other groups. Further, the informations conveyed by this approach are consistent with those provided by PET, fMRI and EP. This new approach presents a very strong potential for diagnosis for consciousness disorder patients since it is applicable very early after the insult.