Assessing Covert Consciousness in Unresponsive Patients

Consciousness Disorders Clinical Trial

Official title: Assessing the Potential for 'Covert Consciousness' in Unresponsive Patients

Status Not yet recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

In this study, the investigators explore anesthesia as a tool for providing further insight into the level of consciousness of individuals with a clinical diagnosis of unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS), but who possess some neurophysiological signatures of conscious awareness. This group, who could potentially be conscious, will herein be referred to as the target population. Our goal is to assess whether or not neurological patterns of consciousness in the target population respond to anesthesia in a similar manner to neurologically compromised individuals with known consciousness (e.g. those in minimally conscious state (MCS). In healthy controls, propofol-induced unconsciousness results in an elimination of the mismatch negativity event-related brain potential (ERP) and a diminished directed connectivity. The investigators hypothesize that at doses well below those required for surgery, anesthesia will have similar effects on these neural patterns in neurologically compromised patients with the potential for conscious awareness, but will not affect these patterns in those who lack consciousness.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Study Design

Allocation: Non-Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Consciousness Disorders

• NCT number: NCT02659228
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Michigan
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: December 2016