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November 13, 2007

Cognition despite a persistent vegatative state

Dr. Kofke sumarizes Dr Adrian M Owen's  (University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom) SNACC (Society of Neurosurgical Anesthesia and Critical Care) annual meeting presention on functional Magnetic Resonanace Imaging (fMRI) in patients in a persistent vegetative state (see the Etherway http://mkeamy.typepad.com/anesthesiacaucus/2007/11/awareness-in-th.html).    Dr. Owen's work shows clear evidence of cognition in some of these patients.  This work should cause a general re-evaluation of what is and what is not awareness even in the severely brain injured.

W A Kofke is Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Neurosurgical Anesthesia service.   

Posted at 08:30 AM in Clinical Care, Clinical Research, Neuro Critical Care |

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  • Blogmaster
    This blog is organized and maintained by David S. Smith, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania. His subspeciality is anesthesia for patients undergoing neurosurgery. For the past 6 years he has had responsibilites for patient safety and clinical care quality improvment in a Department of over 65 faculty who provide anesthesia care for about 24,000 patients each year. Correspondance can be sent to [email protected]
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    The purpose of this blog is primarily to provide ongoing contact with former residents and faculty of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. Others may also have an interest in the topics presented. We plan to discuss a variety of issues related to the practice of anesthesiology with an emphasis on patient safety, risk management and medical legal aspects of care.
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    The content and observations on this Weblog come mostly from members of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care of the University of Pennsylvania. However this material does not represent the official opinion of that Department, the University of Pennsylvania or any of its other Departments or Divisions. Medicine is a rapidly changing field. We cannot guarantee that any of the material here is correct or up to date.
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