Language Assessment in Patients with Disorders of Consciousness

Charlène Aubinet; Caroline Schnakers; Steve Majerus

doi:10.1055/s-0042-1755561

Seminars in Neurology, Table of Contents

Semin Neurol 2022; 42(03): 273-282
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1755561

Review Article

Language Assessment in Patients with Disorders of Consciousness

Charlène Aubinet

¹Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

²Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium

³Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

,

Caroline Schnakers

⁴Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, California

,

Steve Majerus

³Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

The assessment of residual language abilities in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) after severe brain injury is particularly challenging due to their limited behavioral repertoire. Moreover, associated language impairment such as receptive aphasia may lead to an underestimation of actual consciousness levels. In this review, we examine past research on the assessment of residual language processing in DoC patients, and we discuss currently available tools for identifying language-specific abilities and their prognostic value. We first highlight the need for validated and sensitive bedside behavioral assessment tools for residual language abilities in DoC patients. As regards neuroimaging and electrophysiological methods, the tasks involving higher level linguistic commands appear to be the most informative about level of consciousness and have the best prognostic value. Neuroimaging methods should be combined with the most appropriate behavioral tools in multimodal assessment protocols to assess receptive language abilities in DoC patients in the most complete and sensitive manner.

Keywords

language - disorders of consciousness - behavioral assessment - aphasia

Full Text

References

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