Abstract
We review cerebral processing of auditory and noxious stimuli in minimally conscious state (MCS) and vegetative state (VS) patients. In contrast with limited brain activation found in VS patients, MCS patients show activation similar to controls in response to auditory, emotional and noxious stimuli. Despite an apparent clinical similarity between MCS and VS patients, functional imaging data show striking differences in cortical segregation and integration between these two conditions. However, in the absence of a generally accepted neural correlate of consciousness as measured by functional neuroimaging, clinical assessment remains the gold standard for the evaluation and management of severely brain damaged patients. This research was supported by the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, (FNRS), by the Reine Elisabeth Medical Foundation, by funds of the University of Liège and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium, and by a Tom Slick Research Award on Consciousness of the Mind Science Foundation, TX. S. Laureys and P. Maquet are Research Associate and Research Director at the FNRS.
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