Reforming the Taxonomy in Disorders of Consciousness

Abstract

This paper examines the serious shortcomings that characterize the current taxonomy of post-comatose disorders of consciousness (DoC), and it provides guidelines for how an improved DoC taxonomy might be developed. In particular, it is argued that behavioural criteria for the application of DoC categories should be supplemented with brain-based criteria (e.g., information derived from EEG and fMRI), and that the categorical framework that currently characterizes DoC should be replaced by a more complex framework that better captures the performance of patients across a range of cognitive and behavioural tasks. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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