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Emotion processing in the minimally conscious state
  1. T Bekinschtein1,
  2. J Niklison1,
  3. L Sigman1,
  4. F Manes1,2,6,
  5. R Leiguarda2,
  6. J Armony3,
  7. A Owen4,
  8. S Carpintiero5,
  9. L Olmos6
  1. 1Cognitive Neurology Section, Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI), Buenos Aires, Argentina
  2. 2Department of Neurology, Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI), Buenos Aires, Argentina
  3. 3Department of Experimental Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
  4. 4MRC-CBU, Cambridge, UK
  5. 5Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI), Buenos Aires, Argentina
  6. 6Rehabilitation Institute (FLENI), Buenos Aires, Argentina
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr F Manes
 Cognitive Neurology Section, Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI), Montañeses 2325 (C1428AQK). Buenos Aires, Argentina; fmanesfleni.org.ar

https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2003.034876

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    As a newly described condition distinct from coma or the vegetative state, minimally conscious state (MCS) is characterised by a threshold level of consciousness, and diagnostic criteria have recently been proposed.1 In MCS, cognitively mediated behaviour occurs inconsistently, but is reproducible or sustained enough to be differentiated from reflexive behaviour. It is clinically essential to distinguish this condition from persistent vegetative state (PVS), due to a potentially more favourable outcome.1 So far, whether patients in MCS can process emotion is unknown.

    Cortical processing has been described in PVS using auditory and visual functional paradigms with positron emission tomography.2,3 However, to date hardly any functional imaging studies are available in patients in MCS.4 We used fMRI to assess brain activity induced by an emotional stimulus in a patient in MCS.

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    Footnotes

    • This work was supported by the Institute for Neurological Research, FLENI.

    • Competing interests: none declared

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    • Correction
      CORRECTIONS
      BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
      Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 2004; 75 1086-1086 Published Online First: 16 Jun 2004. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2003.034876corr1