A role for the default mode network in the bases of disorders of consciousness

• DOI: 10.1002/ana.23635
• Publication Date: 2012-04-24T23:31:19Z
• Authors: Davinia Fernández...; Andrea Soddu; Damian Cruse; Eva M. Palacios; Carme Junque; Audrey Vanhaudenh...; Eva Rivas; Virginia Newcombe; David K. Menon; John D. Pickard; Steven Laureys; Adrian M. Owen
• Keywords: Disconnection; Persistent vegetative state; Posterior cingulate; Unconsciousness

Functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) is known to be reduced patients with disorders of consciousness, a different extent depending on their clinical severity. Nevertheless, integrity structural architecture supporting this and its relation exhibited functional disconnections are very poorly understood. We investigated white matter DMN consciousness varying severity.Fifty-two patients--19 vegetative state (VS), 27 minimally conscious (MCS), 6 emerging from (EMCS)--and 23 healthy volunteers participated study. Structural was assessed by means probabilistic tractography, resulting fibers characterized mean fractional anisotropy values.Patients showed significant impairments all pathways connecting cortical regions within network, as well pathway posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus thalamus, relative volunteers. Moreover, pathway, that those areas correlated patients' behavioral signs for awareness, being higher EMCS than upper lower ranges MCS patients, lowest VS patients.These results provide possible neural substrate disconnection previously described these reinforce importance genesis awareness bases disorders.