Article (Scientific journals)
A role for the default mode network in the bases of disorders of consciousness.
Fernandez-Espejo, Davinia; Soddu, Andrea; Cruse, Damian et al.
2012In Annals of Neurology, 72 (3), p. 335-43
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
23635_ftp.pdf
Publisher postprint (358.16 kB)
Download

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Brain/pathology; Brain Mapping; Consciousness Disorders/pathology; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Female; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Male; Middle Aged; Models, Neurological; Nerve Net/pathology; Neural Pathways/pathology; Severity of Illness Index; Statistics as Topic
Abstract :
[en] OBJECTIVE: Functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) is known to be reduced in patients with disorders of consciousness, to a different extent depending on their clinical severity. Nevertheless, the integrity of the structural architecture supporting this network and its relation with the exhibited functional disconnections are very poorly understood. We investigated the structural connectivity and white matter integrity of the DMN in patients with disorders of consciousness of varying clinical severity. METHODS: Fifty-two patients--19 in a vegetative state (VS), 27 in a minimally conscious state (MCS), and 6 emerging from a minimally conscious state (EMCS)--and 23 healthy volunteers participated in the study. Structural connectivity was assessed by means of probabilistic tractography, and the integrity of the resulting fibers was characterized by their mean fractional anisotropy values. RESULTS: Patients showed significant impairments in all of the pathways connecting cortical regions within this network, as well as the pathway connecting the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus with the thalamus, relative to the healthy volunteers. Moreover, the structural integrity of this pathway, as well as that of those connecting the posterior areas of the network, was correlated with the patients' behavioral signs for awareness, being higher in EMCS patients than those in the upper and lower ranges of the MCS patients, and lowest in VS patients. INTERPRETATION: These results provide a possible neural substrate for the functional disconnection previously described in these patients, and reinforce the importance of the DMN in the genesis of awareness and the neural bases of its disorders.
Disciplines :
Neurology
Author, co-author :
Fernandez-Espejo, Davinia
Soddu, Andrea ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Cruse, Damian
Palacios, Eva M.
Junque, Carme
Vanhaudenhuyse, Audrey  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Rivas, Eva
Newcombe, Virginia
Menon, David K.
Pickard, John D.
Laureys, Steven  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Owen, Adrian M.
Language :
English
Title :
A role for the default mode network in the bases of disorders of consciousness.
Publication date :
2012
Journal title :
Annals of Neurology
ISSN :
0364-5134
eISSN :
1531-8249
Publisher :
John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, United States - New York
Volume :
72
Issue :
3
Pages :
335-43
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Commentary :
Copyright (c) 2012 American Neurological Association.
Available on ORBi :
since 07 January 2013

Statistics


Number of views
266 (7 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
1032 (11 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
207
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
160
OpenCitations
 
174

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi