Lancioni Giulio E, Singh Nirbhay N, O'Reilly Mark F, Sigafoos Jeff, D'Amico Fiora, Buonocunto Francesca, Navarro Jorge, Lanzilotti Crocifissa, Fiore Piero, Megna Marisa, Damiani Sabino
University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA.
NeuroRehabilitation. 2015;37(3):393-403. doi: 10.3233/NRE-151269.
Post-coma persons in a minimally conscious state (MCS) and with extensive motor impairment and lack of speech tend to be passive and isolated.
This study aimed to (a) further assess a technology-aided approach for fostering MCS participants' responding and stimulation control and (b) carry out a social validation check about the approach.
Eight MCS participants were exposed to the aforementioned approach according to an ABAB design. The technology included optic, pressure or touch microswitches to monitor eyelid, hand or finger responses and a computer system that allowed those responses to produce brief periods of positive stimulation during the B (intervention) phases of the study. Eighty-four university psychology students and 42 care and health professionals were involved in the social validation check.
The MCS participants showed clear increases in their response frequencies, thus producing increases in their levels of environmental stimulation input, during the B phases of the study. The students and care and health professionals involved in the social validation check rated the technology-aided approach more positively than a control condition in which stimulation was automatically presented to the participants.
A technology-aided approach to foster responding and stimulation control in MCS persons may be effective and socially desirable.
处于微意识状态（MCS）且存在广泛运动障碍和言语缺失的昏迷后患者往往较为被动和孤立。
本研究旨在（a）进一步评估一种技术辅助方法，以促进MCS参与者的反应及刺激控制，以及（b）对该方法进行社会效度检验。
根据ABAB设计，八名MCS参与者接受了上述方法。该技术包括用于监测眼睑、手部或手指反应的视觉、压力或触摸微动开关，以及一个计算机系统，该系统允许这些反应在研究的B（干预）阶段产生短暂的积极刺激。84名大学心理学专业学生和42名护理及健康专业人员参与了社会效度检验。
在研究的B阶段，MCS参与者的反应频率明显增加，从而使他们的环境刺激输入水平提高。参与社会效度检验的学生以及护理和健康专业人员对技术辅助方法的评价比将刺激自动呈现给参与者的对照条件更为积极。
一种促进MCS患者反应及刺激控制的技术辅助方法可能是有效且符合社会需求的。
