Results specify cognitive capabilities in disorders of consciousness, and determine their prognostic value. Specifically the N400 ERP is suggested as an important tool to assess information-processing capacities that can predict the likelihood of recovery of patients in UWS or MCS.

No abstract

The ratio of magnetoencephalogram-recorded brain responses occurring 50ms after paired clicks (S2-evoked M50/S1-evoked M50) serves as a measure of sensory gating. An abnormally large ratio is commonly found in schizophrenia. Whether this abnormality indicates impaired gating is debated. Using event-related oscillations the present study sought to elucidate processes contributing to the phenomenon of altered M50 gating ratio. Schizophrenia inpatients (n=50) showed the expected large M50 gating ratio relative to 48 healthy controls, which correlated with less induced frontally generated activity in the 10-15Hz frequency band starting 200ms before the onset of S2. Patients also produced smaller alpha (8-12Hz) and gamma (60-80Hz) responses to S1. Results suggest that the deviant gating ratio in schizophrenia is a consequence of a complex alteration in the processing of incoming information that cannot be attributed to impaired gating alone.

HighlightsThere was good agreement between different methods of ictal EEG source imaging.Ictal source imaging achieved an accuracy of 73% (for operated patients: 86%).Agreement between all methods did not necessarily imply accuracy of localization.

Understanding the contribution of diminished temporal stability of neuronal network dynamics to schizophrenia is crucial in modeling the impact of such instability on performance and thus for understanding deviant attention and memory functions.