Serum NSE and S100B protein levels for evaluating the impaired consciousness in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between the levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B protein and coma duration, and evaluate the optimal cut-off values for prediction coma duration ≥ 72 hours in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning (ACOP).A total of 60 patients with ACOP were divided into 3 following groups according to their status of consciousness and coma duration at admission: Awake group [Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS score) ≥ 13 points], Coma < 72 hours group (GCS score < 13 points and coma duration < 72 h), and Coma ≥ 72 hours group (GCS score < 13 points and coma duration ≥ 72 h). The levels of serum NSE and S100B protein were measured after admission.There were significant differences in GCS score, carbon monoxide (CO) exposure time, NSE, and S100B levels between the Coma ≥ 72 h group and the Awake group, and between the Coma < 72 h group and the Awake group. Significant differences in GCS score, NSE, and S100B levels were also found between Coma ≥ 72 h group and Coma < 72 h group. Correlation analysis showed that NSE and S100B were positively correlated (r_s = 0.590, P < .01); NSE and S100B were negatively correlated with GCS score (r_s = -0.583, r_s = -0.590, respectively, both P < .01). The areas under the curve (AUCs) of NSE, S100B, and GCS score to predict the coma duration ≥ 72 hours were 0.754, 0.791, and 0.785, respectively. Pairwise comparisons did not show differences among the 3 groups (all P > .05). The sensitivity and specificity of NSE prediction with a cut-off value of 13 μg/L were 80% and 64%, respectively, and those of S100B prediction with a cut-off value of 0.43 μg/L were 70% and 88%, respectively.The NSE and S100B protein levels were significantly correlated with the degree of impaired consciousness and had the same clinical value in predicting coma duration of ≥ 72 hours in patients with ACOP.     

Feasibility and Preliminary Validation of an Online Version of the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification Method

Objective

To test the feasibility and validity of an online version of an established interview designed to determine a lifetime history of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Assessment of Nociception and Pain in Participants in an Unresponsive or Minimally Conscious State After Acquired Brain Injury: The Relation Between the Coma Recovery Scale–Revised and the Nociception Coma Scale–Revised

Objectives

To investigate the relation between consciousness and nociceptive responsiveness (ie, Nociception Coma Scale–Revised [NCS-R]), to examine the suitability of the NCS-R for assessing nociception in participants with disorders of consciousness (DOC), and to replicate previous findings on psychometric properties of the scale.

Late recovery of awareness in prolonged disorders of consciousness –a cross-sectional cohort study

Purpose: To detect any improvement of awareness in prolonged disorders of consciousness in the long term.

Methods: A total of 34 patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (27 vegetative state and seven minimally conscious state; 16 males; aged 21–73) were included in the study. All patients were initially diagnosed with vegetative/minimally conscious state on admission to our specialist neurological rehabilitation unit. Re-assessment was performed 2–16?years later using Coma Recovery Scale-Revised.

Results: Although remaining severely disabled, 32% of the patients showed late improvement of awareness evidenced with development of non-reflexive responses such as reproducible command following and localization behaviors. Most of the late recoveries occurred in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (5/11, 45.5%). The ages of patients within the late recovery group (Mean?=?45, SD?=?11.4) and non-recovery group (Mean?=?43, SD?=?15.5) were not statistically different (p?=?0.76).

Conclusions: This study shows that late improvements in awareness are not exceptional in non-traumatic prolonged disorders of consciousness cases. It highlights the importance of long-term follow up of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness, regardless of the etiology, age, and time passed since the brain injury. Long-term follow up will help clinicians to identify patients who may benefit from further assessment and rehabilitation. Although only one patient achieved recovery of function, recovery of awareness may have important ethical implications especially where withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration is considered.

• Implications for rehabilitation

• Long-term regular follow-up of people with prolonged disorders of consciousness is important.

• Albeit with poor functional outcomes late recovery of awareness is possible in both traumatic and non-traumatic prolonged disorders of consciousness cases.

• Recovery of awareness has significant clinical and ethical implications especially where withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration is considered.

     

Wallenberg综合征患者继发意识障碍的原因分析

目的探讨Wallenberg综合征患者继发意识障碍的原因分析。方法37例Wallenberg综合征意识障碍患者行头颅影像学检查,对部分患者出现的异常呼吸形式进行分析,侧脑室前角穿刺测定侧脑室压力患者20例(侧脑室穿刺组),记录意识障碍持续时间,并与保守治疗的17例患者(保守治疗组)意识障碍持续时间进行比较。结果Wallenberg综合征意识障碍患者第四脑室闭塞,急性幕上积水;颅内压明显升高;部分患者出现大脑半球受损的呼吸类型;侧脑室穿刺组患者意识障碍迅速恢复(12.7±5.3)h,异常呼吸类型迅速消失。保守治疗组患者意识障碍恢复慢(10.1±5.2)天,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论急性幕上积水可能是Wallenberg综合征意识障碍的主要原因。     

Sleepiness, Troika of Consciousness Cycle, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is an important indicator when diagnosing sleep-disordered breathing and evaluating its treatment results. However, there appears to be some confusion as to what exactly is sleepiness; Dorlands Illustrated Medical Dictionary does not help. The medical literature was reviewed in order to assemble a schematic model that would suggest a definition of sleepiness and how it can be measured. The derived model is entitled the troika of consciousness cycle (TCC). It assumes that the presence of wakefulness, nonrapid eye movement sleep (NREMS), and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) is determined by the interactions of four drives: two promoting wakefulness and one each for the two sleep states. The TCC illustrates that inadequate sleep results in sleep debt, but that sleepiness is determined solely by the nearness of the secondary wake drive line to the NREMS drive line. Contact of these lines indicates dozing, a change in consciousness state, an observable event. The probability of this event may be defined as objective sleepiness; this is what the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) attempts to measure. Studies indicate that the ESS can determine EDS with greater sensitivity and selectivity than either the multiple sleep latency test or the maintenance of wakefulness test.     

高重力加速度及其模拟条件下脑电变化研究综述

高重力加速度及其模拟条件下脑电变化的相关研究在航空医学领域具有重要意义。本文综合介绍了飞行中＋Gz和离心机＋Gz作用、下体负压作用、不同程度缺氧、短暂意识丧失下的脑电变化特点及其相互之间的关系。国内外学者围绕＋Gz及其模拟条件下的脑电变化规律已取得一定研究成果,但在脑电的定量分析,以及利用脑电对＋Gz加速度引起的短暂意识丧失进行前驱预警等方面的研究尚待深入。本文为高重力加速度环境下的脑电变化特征研究提供重要参考依据,对探寻利用脑电预警高重力加速度引起的意识丧失具有现实意义。     

Simplified evaluation of CONsciousness disorders (SECONDs) in individuals with severe brain injury: A validation study

BackgroundThe Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) is the gold standard to assess severely brain-injured patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (DoC). However, the amount of time needed to complete this examination may limit its use in clinical settings. Objective. We aimed to validate a new faster tool to assess consciousness in individuals with DoC.MethodsThis prospective validation study introduces the Simplified Evaluation of CONsciousness Disorders (SECONDs), a tool composed of 8 items: arousal, localization to pain, visual fixation, visual pursuit, oriented behaviors, command-following, and communication (both intentional and functional). A total of 57 individuals with DoC were assessed on 2 consecutive days by 3 blinded examiners: one CRS-R and one SECONDs were performed on 1 day, whereas 2 SECONDs were performed on the other day. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the duration of administration of the SECONDs versus the CRS-R, and weighted Fleiss’ kappa coefficients were used to assess inter-/intra-rater reliability as well as concurrent validity.ResultsIn the 57 participants, the SECONDs was about 2.5 times faster to administer than the CRS-R. The comparison of the CRS-R versus the SECONDs on the same day or the best of the 3 SECONDs led to “substantial” or “almost perfect” agreement (kappa coefficients ranging from 0.78 to 0.85). Intra-/inter-rater reliability also showed almost perfect agreement (kappa coefficients from 0.85 to 0.91 and 0.82 to 0.85, respectively).ConclusionsThe SECONDs appears to be a fast, reliable and easy-to-use scale to diagnose DoC and may be a good alternative to other scales in clinical settings where time constraints preclude a more thorough assessment.     

有卒中危险因素患者脑卒中症状认知及急救意识临床分析

目的探讨有卒中危险因素患者对脑卒中症状的认知及脑卒中发生时的急救意识。方法选取2012-07—2014-07收治的230例具有脑卒中危险因素的患者为研究对象,根据自编问卷对其行脑卒中症状认知及急救意识的调查,采用Logistic逐步回归分析,分析影响其对脑卒中症状认知及急救意识调查的相关因素。结果 230例患者中认为高血压、高脂血、高胆固醇、年龄、卒中史、高盐高脂饮食是卒中危险因素的患者较多,分别占总调查人数的45.22%、28.70%、28.26%、27.39%、23.48%、16.09%;另外有少数患者认为心理压力、情绪激动、天气、跌倒及季节也是发生卒中的危险因素,分别占3.91%、3.04%、3.48%、2.17%、5.22%;脑卒中病史、高血压、高脂血、冠心病、2型糖尿病、文化程度、人均收入是影响有卒中危险因素患者对卒中症状及急救意识认知情况的相关因素(P0.05);Logistic多因素分析进一步表明,有卒中危险因素患者对卒中症状及急救意识认知情况的独立影响因素是脑卒中史(OR=3.353)、文化程度(OR=2.756)、高血压(OR=2.249)、冠心病(OR=1.878)等。结论具有脑卒中高危因素的患者对脑卒中危险因素、卒中的风险、卒中症状和卒中发生时的急救意识较差,为提高其对脑卒中风险和急救意识的认知水平,需要加强对其健康教育和宣传。