Covert consciousness.
Michael J Young, Brian L Edlow, Yelena G Bodien
PMID 38217619WHAT IT FOUND
This paper reviews the concept of covert consciousness, where patients retain awareness despite appearing unresponsive at the bedside.
It discusses diagnostic tools like fMRI and EEG and ethical implications, but reports no new patient data or clinical outcomes to change practice.
What this paper is
This is a narrative review and conceptual analysis of the term 'covert consciousness' in patients with disorders of consciousness. It discusses definitions, diagnostic technologies (fMRI, EEG, behavioral markers), and ethical considerations, but it does not present original patient data, a new clinical trial, or a systematic synthesis of evidence with quantified outcomes. Therefore, there are no specific findings or effect sizes to report for clinical practice.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this review as evidence that a specific diagnostic test or intervention has been proven to improve outcomes for patients with covert consciousness. It summarizes existing concepts and guidelines but does not report new clinical results.