Longitudinal studies are essential tools in medical research. In these studies, variables are not restricted to single measurements but can be seen as variable-trajectories, either single or joint. Thus, an important question concerns the identification of homogeneous patient trajectories.kml and kml3d are R packages providing an implementation of k-means designed to work specifically on trajectories (kml) or on joint trajectories (kml3d). They provide various tools to work on longitudinal data: imputation methods for trajectories (nine classic and one original), methods to define starting conditions in k-means (four classic and three original) and quality criteria to choose the best number of clusters (four classic and one original). In addition, they offer graphic facilities to "visualize" the trajectories, either in 2D (single trajectory) or 3D (joint-trajectories). The 3D graph representing the mean joint-trajectories of each cluster can be exported through L A T E X in a 3D dynamic rotating PDF graph (Figures 1 and 9).

Global neuronal workspace theory predicts that damage to long-distance white matter tracts should impair access to conscious perception. During persistent vegetative state, we identified a hypermetabolism in the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) and impaired functional connectivity between the ARAS and the precuneus. This result emphasizes the functional link between cortices and brainstem in the genesis of perceptual awareness and strengthens the hypothesis that consciousness is based on a widespread neural network.

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