Communication Abilities of Children with DoC after Severe Brain Injury in ICF Frames

Introduction: The ability to communicate is one of the fundamental factors underlying human relationships. Severe brain damage and disorders of consciousness may indispose a person to participate in everyday social and family life. In spite of this fact, however, the issue of holistic approach to communication in the context of severe traumatic brain injury is still not well explained and described. The goal of this article is to introduce a profile of nonverbal behavior of children with disorders of consciousness. Materials and methods: The study included 30 children with minimal conscious state after severe brain trauma, aged between 7 and 16 years old. Research was conducted using the Coma Recovery Scale—Revised and the Bykova–Lukyanov Scale of Communication Activity. Results: Significant differences in communication level between investigated groups were demonstrated, both in Body Function (F = 9.184; p < 0.001) and Activity and Participation (F = 13.100; p < 0.001). Conclusions: It is possible to map and classify communication ability of children with minimal conscious state by using International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) protocol and the Bykova–Lukyanov Scale of Communication Activity, with specific consideration of Activities and Participation factors. This approach reveals differences in communication and disability level between children with minimal conscious state plus (MSC+) and minimal conscious state minus (MSC−).

Unedited pathological recurrent association of palmomental and rooting archaic reflexes in a young woman with severe traumatic brain lesions – case presentation and physiopathological considerations

Introduction. Archaic reflexes are present in infancy, disappear as the brain matures, but reappear in pathological conditions. Case report. A 29-years-old woman has suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. She was admitted to neurorehabilitation 6 months after neurosurgical interventions (ventriculoperitoneal shunt for traumatic hydrocephalus, emerged after decompressive craniectomy). Neurological examination revealed a minimal conscious state, spastic tetraparesis, trismus, central facial palsy, nystagmus, bilateral palm-chin reflex, and a “mitigated” variant of the rooting reflex. The left corneal, snout and glabellar reflexes were absent. Osteotendinous reflexes were brisk, Babinski sign was bilaterally present, palmar and plantar grasp reflexes were absent. The trismus has persisted and chewing remained severely disabled after botulinum toxin injected in the left temporalis muscle and bilaterally in the masseter. The patient was fed by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube. Neurologic evolution remained stationary after two months of rehabilitative nursing. Discussion. The palmomental reflex described by Marinescu and Radovici, is elicited by scratching the thenar eminence of the palm, and consists of an ipsilateral twitch of the mentalis muscle. Baby rooting for milk is a primitive trigemino-facial reflex found in newborn infants. The lower lip is lowered, and the tongue is moved in the direction where the cheek near the corner of the mouth is brushed. The lockjaw has “mitigated” the classical pattern of clinical response. Repeated stimulation causes a unilateral mentalis muscle response, similar to the palm-chin reflex. The severe traumatic brain lesions have induced pathological reappearance of the palmomental and rooting archaic reflexes, in a unique, unedited pathological association. Key words: palmomental reflex (Marinescu Radovici reflex); rooting reflex; archaic reflexes; botulinum toxin; traumatic brain injury; minimal conscious state,

Pharmakologische Aspekte in der Neurorehabilitation

ZusammenfassungÄrzte in der neurologischen Rehabilitation sind mit vielfältigen Aspekten der pharmakologischen Behandlung befasst. Über die Entscheidung angemessener antihypertensiver, antikonvulsiver oder antikoagulativer Behandlung hinaus ergeben sich aber zusätzliche Aspekte für die Hirnerholung positiv bzw. negativ beeinflussende pharmakologische Interventionen.Von großer Wichtigkeit ist das Vermeiden sogenannter „Detrimental Drugs“ von deren pharmakologischen Profil klar ist, dass sie die Hirnerholung und Hirnreorganisation negativ beeinflussen. Dazu gehören klassische Antikonvulsiva wie Phenytoin und Barbiturate aber auch Benzodiazepine, Butophynone und Antihypertensiva wie Clonidin und Prazosin. Wenn irgend möglich sollte nach einer akuten neurologischen Hirnschädigung auf den Einsatz dieser Substanzen verzichtet werden.Unter EBM-Kriterien konnte nur für Fluoxetin und Cerebrolysin bisher in größeren randomisiert kontrollierten Untersuchungen eine nachgewiesene Wirksamkeit zur Verbesserung der Funktionserholung nach Schlaganfall nachgewiesen werden. Beide Substanzen wirken offenbar auf multiple molekulare Mechanismen der Hirnerholung ein. Grundsätzlich kann der Einsatz von Antidepressiva (insbesondere SSRI) nach Schlaganfall auch bei nicht depressiven Schlaganfallpatienten zur Förderung der Funktionserholung empfohlen werden. Auch der Einsatz von dopaminergen Substanzen zeigte in kleinen Studien positive Effekte auf die Funktionserholung nach Schlaganfall. Angesichts des geringen Nebenwirkungspotenzials kann der probatorische Einsatz von z. B. L-Dopa (100 mg am Tag) in der subakuten Phase nach Schlaganfall empfohlen werden.Auch bei MS-Patienten kann der Einsatz von Antidepressiva zur Verbesserung der Lebensqualität empfohlen werden.Bei Patienten mit eingeschränktem Bewusstseinszustand (Wachkoma, Minimal Conscious State) ist Amantadin bisher die einzige Substanz, für die in einer größeren randomisiert kontrollierten Studie eine zumindest transiente Wirksamkeit nachgewiesen werden konnte. Der Einsatz von Amantadin kann daher zur Verbesserung der Bewusstseinslage bei diesen Patienten empfohlen werden.

Deep brain stimulation for prolonged disorders of consciousness

Deep brain stimulation has emerged as a “last resort” therapy for patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness. The latter encompasses a range of conditions including minimal conscious state and persistent vegetative state. Functional neuroimaging studies have shown that minimal conscious state and persistent vegetative state have different patterns of residual brain function and may therefore respond differently to deep brain stimulation. The failure to distinguish between the two conditions in this context can give rise to false expectation, misunderstanding and ill-guided treatment. As a halfway technology for prolonged disorders of consciousness, deep brain stimulation could also produce improvement in awareness that is in fact harm, and its impact may involve a wide range of public interests. This paper will discuss related ethical and legal issues with an emphasis on the distinction between minimal conscious state and persistent vegetative state in the application of deep brain stimulation.