Neural signatures of consciousness in the minimally conscious state and unresponsive wakefulness syndrome

Record summary

Casali and collaborators developed the perturbational complexity index, combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with EEG to assess whether brain responses retain integrated and differentiated structure. Tests included healthy participants, sleep, anesthesia and patients with disorders of consciousness. The lead matters because it offers a physiological comparison across ordinary and altered states without relying solely on verbal report. It does not directly identify subjective experience in every patient. Verify patient diagnoses, stimulation parameters, preprocessing and the distinction between index validity and clinical application.