Clinical Research Directory

Spontaneous Eye Blinking Evaluation for Cognitive Assessment of Individuals With Severe Acquired Brain Injury

Sponsor: Alfonso Magliacano

Summary

Assessment of consciousness and attention in individuals with severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI) is crucial for planning rehabilitation, but it is often hindered by coexisting sensory-motor and/or cognitive-behavioural disorders. This project aims at evaluating the value of spontaneous eye blinking features to assess patients' attentional abilities and to distinguish patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) from those in minimally conscious state (MCS). Patients will undergo an EEG-EOG recording at rest and during an auditory oddball task. Eye blinking features on EOG will be analysed and compared to that of healthy individuals. A machine-learning-based algorithm using blinking features for the diagnosis of patients with sABI will be studied and validated preliminarily. This project will help to stratify patients with sABI using easy-to-detect clinical markers, supporting clinicians' decision-making about patient's management. Additionally, blinking patterns related to residual attentional abilities in patients emerged from disorders of consciousness will be investigated.

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