States of Consciousness

15 important questions on States of Consciousness

What do you measure with EEG?

Electrical (now magnetic MEG) activity from the surface of the head.

This activity is the result of synchronous synaptic activity between neurons

What is sleep paralysis?

Muscle tonus stays flat because of muscle paralysis. But person is awake: EEG & EOG (eye movements) like awake

What area's does the Reticular formation influence? What's its function?

Reticular formation mediates arousal.
1. Via direct fibers to the cortex
2. By gating the transfer of information from the thalamus to the cortex
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What are Thalamocortical Oscillations?

Cortex, Thalamus and Reticular Nucleus (RN) form a circuit that generates different rhythms.

Slow rhythms prevent input from periphery to reach the cortex.

What does stimulation of the MRF do?

Disrupt slow rhythms from thalamus.
Change low frequencies to high frequencies

What are diffences in cortex connectivity when awake vs sleeping? And conscious vs unconscious?

Non-Rem sleep: Lower connectivity than awake state.

Conscious: Intense communication between regions.
Unconscious: Regions work on their own

Vegatitive state: Characteristics?

- Sleep wake cycle
- Breathing
- Autonomous reactions
- Eye movements
- Orienting (sometimes)
- No Reaction or communication

Minimally Conscious: Characteristics?

Vegative state with sometimes conscious reactions & commmuncation.

Locked-in syndrome: Characteristics?

Fully awake & conscious: Unable to respond
Except for eye or eyelid movements

What is a clinical diagnosis of brain death?

- Reflexes are tested? (slide 25 skot)
- EEG with maximal amplification & electrodes large distance apart is completely flat
- ECG (heart) or respiration can be present
- Record response of spinal cord, brain stem & cortex tot electrical stimulation of the wrist: Absence of response beyond p13/n13: Brain death

Glasgow coma scale: Wat zijn de 3 schalen?

Eye opening (E)
Motor response (M)
Verbal response (V)

Coma score: 3 to 15

Differences between coma en persistent vegetative state?

Duration: Days/weeks VS Months/years
Sleep-wake: No VS Yes
Motor Function: Reflexes VS Reflexes, Postures, Withdrawal from stimuli, random purposeful movement
Auditory/Visual function: None VS Startle reflexes, fixations
Emotion: None vs Reflexive crying or smiling
Consciousness: No VS Depends on patient (only neurally visible)

Differences between PVS en Minimally conscious state?

Motor function: Reflexes, Postures, withdrawal from stimuli, random purposeful movement VS Localization of stimuli, reaching for objects, hand-shape matching, scratching.

Auditory/Visual function: Startle reflexes, orienting, fixating VS localization sound, some command following, visual pursuit.

Communication: None VS vocalizations, inconsistent but intelligible, gesture 

Emotion: Reflexive crying/smiling VS Contingent crying or smiling

Consciousness:  Depends on patient (only neurally visible) VS Minimal behavioural signs

What are differences in TMS responses in VS, MCS, and Locked in? What are the implications?

TMS responses more localized in vegatative state vs minimally conscious state & locked in syndrome:

Loss of connectivity in vegetative state
- Similar to deep sleep or anesthesia 

Connectivity: VS --> MCS --> Emerging from MCS --> Locked-in Syndrome

What does the brain of a VS patient react stronger to?

Own name vs other names

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