Artículos de revistas
Circadian rhythms in the vegetative state
Fecha
2009-10Registro en:
Bekinschtein, Tristán Andrés; Golombek, Diego Andrés; Simonetta, Sergio Hernan; Coleman, Martin R.; Manes, Facundo Francisco; Circadian rhythms in the vegetative state; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Brain Injury; 23; 11; 10-2009; 915-919
0269-9052
1362-301X
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Bekinschtein, Tristán Andrés
Golombek, Diego Andrés
Simonetta, Sergio Hernan
Coleman, Martin R.
Manes, Facundo Francisco
Resumen
Objective: To evaluate whether vegetative state patients maintain circadian rhythms.
Research design: An observational study of five single cases.
Methods and procedures: Five chronic vegetative state patients underwent clinical and neurological evaluations and 2-week continuous temperature measurements.
Main outcomes and results: The two patients with traumatic brain injury showed well-formed circadian temperature rhythms and had more reflexive behaviours and relatively low cortical and sub-cortical atrophy, whereas the three patients from anoxic-hypoxic origin demonstrated no cycles or rhythmic behaviour.
Conclusions: The presence of periods of wakefulness does not imply preserved sleep–wake cycling capacity, nor preserved circadian rhythms and it should not be taken as a distinguishing feature for the definition of the vegetative state.