Actively Recruiting
Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy in Disorders of Consciousness: Protocol Testing and Pilot in Neuro-ICU Setting
Led by University of California, Los Angeles · Updated on 2026-06-08
55
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are evaluating whether a non-invasive brain imaging method called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can detect brain activity in healthy adults and patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) in a neuro-intensive care unit (Neuro-ICU). DoC include conditions like coma and minimally conscious state that occur after severe brain injury and make assessing awareness challenging due to impaired observable behaviors. This observational study aims to determine the feasibility of using fNIRS to measure brain responses during sensory and mental tasks in these populations. Participants wear a lightweight fNIRS headband on the forehead during a single session lasting about 30 to 45 minutes. They receive gentle sensory stimulation, listen to sounds or spoken sentences, and perform guided mental tasks such as imagining walking through their home or moving a limb. The study is conducted in two stages: first with healthy adults to establish baseline brain responses, then with patients with DoC in the Neuro-ICU to evaluate the method's feasibility and obtain preliminary brain activity data. During the session, researchers measure changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in the brain to observe hemodynamic responses associated with neural activity. Participants undergo assessments involving somatosensory stimulation, auditory processing, language tasks, spatial navigation imagery, and motor imagery. The main outcome is the task-evoked cortical hemodynamic response recorded during the single fNIRS session. The study does not involve treatment and will not alter medical care, focusing instead on gathering data to inform future research on assessing consciousness after brain injury.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
fNIRS for Disorders of Consciousness
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Healthy control participants must be 18 years or older
- Healthy control participants must be proficient in English
- Healthy control participants must have intact cognition
- Healthy control participants must have a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score greater than 26
- Patients with disorders of consciousness must be 18 years or older
- Patients with disorders of consciousness must be proficient in English
- Patients with disorders of consciousness must have a surrogate decision maker available
- Patients with disorders of consciousness must be admitted to the intensive care unit within 28 days
- Patients with disorders of consciousness must have a documented Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score
- Patients with disorders of consciousness must have an Auditory Function subscale score of at least 1 on the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R)
You will not qualify if you...
- Healthy control participants with known baseline hearing impairment without hearing aids
- Healthy control participants with neurological or psychiatric history
- Patients with disorders of consciousness with known baseline hearing impairment without hearing aids
- Patients with disorders of consciousness unable to provide informed consent
- Patients with disorders of consciousness with extensive bilateral frontal injury on imaging (CT/MRI)
- Patients who have undergone craniectomy surgery
- Patients receiving intravenous sedation in the past 24 hours
- Patients with absent auditory startle response (less than 1 on Auditory Function subscale of CRS-R)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - Approximately 20 to 48 minutes during a single fNIRS recording session
Participants undergo functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) monitoring while exposed to a structured series of passive sensory stimuli and guided mental tasks designed to engage different levels of cognitive processing.
1 session (in-person)
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
UCLA School of Nursing; Ronald Reagan Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
L
Lauren H Furtick, MSN, RN, PhD Candidate
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
2
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