Using Emotional and Neutral Sounds to Predict Recovery in Critically Ill Patients with Disorders of Consciousness

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how emotional sounds, specifically a persons own name spoken by a familiar voice, compared to the same name spoken by an unfamiliar voice, affect brain responses called P300 in critically ill patients with disorders of consciousness DOC. These patients have brain injuries due to causes such as cardiac arrest, stroke, or trauma. The study aims to see if these emotional sounds provide a more reliable way to predict neurological recovery in intensive care unit ICU patients. Participants will be exposed to different auditory stimuli including their own first name spoken by a familiar voice to generate P300 responses and sounds with a three-dimensional effect like approaching sounds to produce mismatch negativity MMN responses. The study includes a prospective group of DOC patients and a retrospective group who previously had neurophysiological assessments with only neutral sounds. The researchers will compare brain responses to emotional and neutral sounds to evaluate their prognostic value. During the study, patients will undergo neurophysiological evaluations measuring brain activity through event-related potentials. Outcomes like the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended GOS-E at 3 months and several secondary measures including coma scales and agitation-sedation scales will be monitored over various timepoints up to 6 months. Researchers will analyze brain responses at inclusion and track clinical progress using standardized neurological scales to assess recovery and prognosis.

Emotional and Neutral Sounds for Neurophysiological Prognostic Assessment of Critically Ill Patients With a Disorder of Consciousness