Common Data Elements for Disorders of Consciousness: Recommendations from the Working Group on Neuroimaging

Brian L Edlow*, Varina L Boerwinkle, Jitka Annen, Melanie Boly, Olivia Gosseries, Steven Laureys, Pratik Mukherjee, Louis Puybasset, Robert D Stevens, Zachary D Threlkeld, Virginia F J Newcombe, Davinia Fernandez-Espejo, Curing Coma Campaign and  its Contributing Members

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Over the past 5 decades, advances in neuroimaging have yielded insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms that cause disorders of consciousness (DoC) in patients with severe brain injuries. Structural, functional, metabolic, and perfusion imaging studies have revealed specific neuroanatomic regions, such as the brainstem tegmentum, thalamus, posterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, and occipital cortex, where lesions correlate with the current or future state of consciousness. Advanced imaging modalities, such as diffusion tensor imaging, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and task-based fMRI, have been used to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and long-term prognosis, culminating in the endorsement of fMRI for the clinical evaluation of patients with DoC in the 2018 US (task-based fMRI) and 2020 European (task-based and resting-state fMRI) guidelines. As diverse neuroimaging techniques are increasingly used for patients with DoC in research and clinical settings, the need for a standardized approach to reporting results is clear. The success of future multicenter collaborations and international trials fundamentally depends on the implementation of a shared nomenclature and infrastructure.

METHODS: To address this need, the Neurocritical Care Society's Curing Coma Campaign convened an international panel of DoC neuroimaging experts to propose common data elements (CDEs) for data collection and reporting in this field.

RESULTS: We report the recommendations of this CDE development panel and disseminate CDEs to be used in neuroimaging studies of patients with DoC.

CONCLUSIONS: These CDEs will support progress in the field of DoC neuroimaging and facilitate international collaboration.

Original languageEnglish
JournalNeurocritical Care
Early online date8 Aug 2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 8 Aug 2023

Bibliographical note

© 2023. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and Neurocritical Care Society.

Keywords

  • Coma
  • Consciousness
  • Common data elements
  • Neuroimaging

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Common Data Elements for Disorders of Consciousness: Recommendations from the Working Group on Neuroimaging'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this