Semantic processing in a coma patient
Boris Kotchoubey, Jerome Daltrozzo, Norma Wioland, Veronique
Mutschler, Philippe Lutun, Niels Birbaumer and Albert Jaeger
Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology,
University of Tubingen, Germany
Department for Functional Diagnostics of the Nervous System,
University Hospital of Strasbourg, France
Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Strasbourg, France
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Trento, Italy
Corresponding address: B Kotchoubey,
Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology,
Gartenstrasse 29, 72074 Tubingen,
Germany.
Tel.: +49 7071 29 74221; fax: +49 7071 29 5956;
E-mail: boris.kotchoubey@uni-tuebingen.de
Electrical brain responses to words semantically related versus
unrelated to their context were recorded in a coma patient on
days 6 (Glasgow Coma Scale, GCS = 6) and 22 (GCS = 9).
Significant differences between related and unrelated words
(which were completely matched in their physical features) were
consistently observed in both examinations. This is the first
evidence for semantic stimulus processing in coma.
Key words
Coma; consciousness; event-related potentials (ERP); late
positive complex; N400; language.
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