Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objectives
Disorders of consciousness (DoC)-that is, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome/vegetative state and minimally conscious state-are debilitating conditions for which no reliable markers of consciousness recovery have yet been identified. Evidence points to the GABAergic system being altered in DoC, making it a potential target as such a marker.Experimental design
In our preliminary study, we used [(11) C]Flumazenil positron emission tomography to establish global GABAA receptor binding potential values and the local-to-global (LTG) ratio of these for specific regions. These values were then compared between DoC patients and healthy controls. In addition, they were correlated with behavioral improvements for the patients between the time of scanning and 3 months later. Functional magnetic resonance imaging resting-state functional connectivity was also calculated and the same comparisons made.Principal observations
lobal GABAA receptor binding was reduced in DoC, as was the LTG ratio in specifically the supragenual anterior cingulate. Both of these measures correlated with behavioral improvement after 3 months. In contrast to these measures of GABAA receptor binding, functional connectivity did not correlate with behavioral improvement.Conclusions
Our preliminary findings point toward GABAA receptor binding being a marker of consciousness recovery in DoC.
SUBMITTER: Qin P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6869690 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Qin Pengmin P Wu Xuehai X Duncan Niall W NW Bao Weiqi W Tang Weijun W Zhang Zhengwei Z Hu Jin J Jin Yi Y Wu Xing X Gao Liang L Lu Lu L Guan Yihui Y Lane Timothy T Huang Zirui Z Bodien Yelena G YG Giacino Joseph T JT Mao Ying Y Northoff Georg G
Human brain mapping 20150703 10
<h4>Objectives</h4>Disorders of consciousness (DoC)-that is, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome/vegetative state and minimally conscious state-are debilitating conditions for which no reliable markers of consciousness recovery have yet been identified. Evidence points to the GABAergic system being altered in DoC, making it a potential target as such a marker.<h4>Experimental design</h4>In our preliminary study, we used [(11) C]Flumazenil positron emission tomography to establish global GABAA rece ...[more]