Articles tagged with Coma
The Glasgow Coma Scale has become a practical method for bedside assessment of impairment of conscious level in acute brain injury. Professor Graham Teasdale examines the scale's original aspirations, criticisms, and its continued role in research and clinical practice.
Researchers have developed a computerized system that can track patients' brain activity and automatically adjust drug dosages to maintain the correct state during medically induced comas. The system uses EEG patterns and real-time feedback to optimize anesthesia levels, eliminating the need for constant monitoring by nurses.
Researchers have discovered large arms of hot gas in the Coma galaxy cluster, which are estimated to be around 300 million years old. The smooth shape of these arms suggests a calm setting for the hot gas in Coma, contrary to theoretical models that expect strong turbulence.
Scientists discover Nu-complexes, a new type of brain activity detected in human and cat comas beyond the flat EEG line. This finding opens up avenues for understanding learning and memory processes during coma and may lead to more effective treatments.
Experts urge for clear and unequivocal criteria to diagnose death, citing variability in brain death diagnosis and lack of global consensus. A proposed operational definition states death occurs when there is permanent loss of capacity for consciousness and loss of all brainstem functions.
Researchers found that comatose patients' brain networks are restructured in a radical way, with some regions becoming hubs and others less connected. This changes could be linked to consciousness disorders and may help clinical practitioners diagnose comatose patients more accurately.
A mathematical model predicts and explains the emergence of burst suppression, a low-activity state in response to reduced cellular energy. The study suggests that burst suppression may be used to guide induced coma and track recovery from brain injuries, offering new insights into brain neurochemistry and neurophysiology.
A review of general anesthesia, sleep, and coma reveals that a fully anesthetized brain is closer to the state of a coma patient than a person asleep. The study aims to improve diagnosis and treatment for sleep abnormalities and emergence from coma.
A review article brings together neuroscience and sleep medicine to understand the biological mechanisms underlying general anesthesia. The authors highlight differences between general anesthesia and states similar to sleep and coma, while also exploring how anesthetic agents interact with brain circuits.
Researchers at Northwestern University led by Theresa Pape are testing if familiar voices can facilitate brain repair and improve coma recovery. The study found that subjects responded more to family voices compared to non-familiar ones, with activated brain areas appearing on MRI scans.
A new tool helps neurologists identify comatose patients who are potential organ donors by analyzing four key factors: corneal reflex, cough reflex, motor response, and oxygenation index. This prediction can be made before a patient is taken off breathing support, benefiting both organ donation rates and medical resource allocation.
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported finding brain response patterns similar to those during natural deep sleep under anesthesia. The study suggests that loss of consciousness may be linked to a breakdown in cortical connectivity, lending support to the integrated information theory of consciousness.
Researchers found that patients with mild to moderate liver coma survived nearly 2.5 times more with N-acetylcysteine treatment than placebo, offering a new glimmer of hope for those affected by non-acetaminophen acute liver failure.
A Queen's University study found that locusts' brain disturbance during a coma-like state shares similarities with human migraines, strokes, and epilepsy. Researchers discovered that manipulating cellular signaling pathways in the brain could potentially modify the severity of these conditions.
A study published in The Lancet Neurology found that patients in a minimally conscious state may experience pain perception similar to healthy individuals. This suggests that these patients could benefit from painkilling treatment, which is currently challenging due to limited awareness of their condition.
Researchers at Queen's University have found a link between locusts' reaction to stress and human migraines. The study shows that the locust's coma-like state is similar to what happens in people during a migraine, suggesting an evolutionary connection.
Dexmedetomidine was found to reduce the risk of delirium and coma in ICU patients on respirators, with 4 more days alive without these conditions. Dexmedetomidine also provided sustained sedation and higher accuracy at meeting sedation goals without added cost of care.
Astronomers used Spitzer to study the Coma cluster, finding almost 30,000 objects, including 1,200 previously unknown dwarf galaxies. The discovery implies a total population of at least 4,000 dwarf galaxies in the cluster.
Researchers at San Francisco VA Medical Center found that administering glucose to treat hypoglycemia actually causes brain damage in rats, contrary to previous assumptions. Oxidative stress is triggered by the sudden return of glucose, leading to neuron death.
A Mayo Clinic study finds that newspaper articles tend to focus on young coma patients who are more likely to awaken and recover, creating a skewed public perception. The study also highlights the need for accurate representation of comas in media, noting that medical sources could provide more thorough information than police reports.
A new guideline developed by the American Academy of Neurology can predict the outcome for patients in a coma after CPR with great accuracy. The tests used to make these predictions include absent pupillary reflexes and corneal reflexes, as well as absent motor responses three days after cardiac arrest.
A study by Eelco Wijdicks and his son found that only two out of 30 movies with coma characters showed a reasonably accurate representation. Common inaccuracies include portraying comatose people as suddenly awakening with no physical or mental problems, or showing them with closed eyes only.
A Mayo Clinic study reveals that comas are often grossly misrepresented in movies, with inaccurate depictions of patients' appearances and care. The researchers propose solutions to improve accuracy in film portrayals, including collaborations between screenwriters and neurologists.
Researchers observed the impact of a copper projectile on Comet Tempel 1, finding it released approximately 4,500 tonnes of water vapor. The comet's surface was composed of icy grains that sublimed in sunlight, producing a bright tail. These findings suggest comets are more like 'icy dust balls' than previously thought 'dirty snowballs'.
The Mayo Clinic has developed a new coma measurement system called the FOUR Score, which quantifies the level of consciousness and severity of brain injury. The score, tested in 120 intensive care unit patients, provides more precise measurements and higher agreement between evaluators than the Glasgow Coma Scale.
Researchers at UCSF discovered that administering pyruvate along with glucose after a diabetic coma can prevent brain damage and subsequent memory and learning impairment. The therapy was shown to be more effective than treatment with glucose alone, with rats experiencing significant cognitive deficits when given only glucose.
A new evaluation tool, DOCS, reliably predicts recovery from coma by tracking neurobehavioral functioning changes. This allows for improved medical and rehabilitation management.
A two-part study examines the effectiveness of neurobehavioral function assessments during coma and stroke rehabilitation for elderly individuals. The Disorders of Consciousness Scale reliably predicts recovery of consciousness, while tracking individual neurobehavioral recovery patterns improves medical and rehabilitation management.
Researchers developed a new scale to predict recovery of consciousness from coma after brain injury. The Disorders of Consciousness Scale (DOCS) accurately detected improvements, declines, and plateaus in neurobehavioral functioning.
A study of 326 children with severe malaria found that 61% had retinopathy, which was associated with higher death rates and prolonged coma. The researchers suggest that retinal signs may be related to cerebral pathophysiology in childhood CM.
Researchers have found that PARP inhibitors can protect brain cells from damage caused by insulin shock, a common complication of severe hypoglycemia. The study shows significant reductions in brain cell death when rats received PARP inhibitors after being induced into a hypoglycemic coma.
University of Pennsylvania researchers have found that loss of consciousness is linked to specific angles of head rotation during car crashes. The study suggests that designing safer airbags and sports headgear could prevent or minimize coma in such incidents.