Brain electrophysiology in disorders of consciousness: Diagnostic and prognostic utility

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a powerful and inexpensive bedside tool for the assessment of residual brain function in prolonged disorders of consciousness. Here we review a range of methods for EEG interpretation, including reactivity, perturbation by transcranial magnetic stimulation, evoked potentials, and oscillatory changes. We show that, in combination, these methods can form a reliable picture of each patient’s structural impairments and residual sensory and cognitive functioning, thereby leading to more accurate diagnoses and prognoses and stratifi cation of patients for experimental neuro-stimulation therapies.