Abstract
[Autom. eng. transl.] The vegetative state is a condition of altered consciousness characterized by vigilance in the absence of awareness; however, patients have residual abilities that allow them to process external information. Sensory stimulation consists of applying environmental inputs to promote patient responsiveness and neural reorganization. The purpose of this study is to explore patients' psychophysiological responses to sensory stimulation with the ultimate goal of obtaining implicit stimulus processing markers in the absence of behavioral awareness tests. A set of sensory stimuli was administered to a sample of 23 patients in a vegetative state. The tactile stimuli consist in a tightening to the wrist and in the application of ice; the olfactory stimuli are instead the fragrances of vanilla and cinnamon. Cortical activity (EEG) and physiological activation (biofeedback) were recorded during the entire experiment. The results show an increase in skin conductance and heart rate in response to vanilla compared to cinnamon and the application of ice compared to the tightening of the wrist. These data are reflected by cortical activation, with an increase in the Theta band in the left frontal area for vanilla and right frontal for cinnamon. This lateralization of Theta could indicate the pleasantness (left) of vanilla and the unpleasantness (right) of cinnamon. Instead, the tactile response seems to be due to a state of alert. In fact, patients with a more compromised state of consciousness seem to detect ice as a threat to the organism and not as a simple stress stimulus. This study is a starting point for the evaluation of the state of consciousness thanks to implicit measures, which allow to go beyond the behavioral evidence of an explicit processing of the surrounding environment.
Translated title of the contribution | [Autom. eng. transl.] Implicit measures for the evaluation of impaired consciousness disorder: an EEG-Biofeedback study |
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Original language | Italian |
Title of host publication | Libro degli Atti "XI Convegno Nazionale di Psicologia dell'Invecchiamento" |
Pages | 127 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Volume | 2018 |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Event | XI Convegno Nazionale di Psicologia dell'invecchiamento - Milano Duration: 25 May 2018 → 26 May 2018 |
Conference
Conference | XI Convegno Nazionale di Psicologia dell'invecchiamento |
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City | Milano |
Period | 25/5/18 → 26/5/18 |
Keywords
- EEG
- Stato vegetativo
- biofeedback
- stimolazione sensoriale