Sleep patterns may reveal comatose patients with hidden consciousness: Study

Several studies conducted over the last decade have found that up to a quarter of unresponsive patients with recent brain injuries may have a level of consciousness that is generally hidden from their families and physicians.

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New research from Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian may soon help physicians identify unresponsive brain-injury patients with hidden consciousness who are likely to achieve long-term recovery by looking for brain waves that are indicative of normal sleep patterns.

"We're at an exciting crossroad in neurocritical care where we know that many patients appear to be unconscious, but some are recovering without our knowledge. We're starting to lift the lid a little bit and find some signs of recovery as it's happening," says Jan Claassen, associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, who led the study.

"Families of my patients ask me all the time, will my mother wake up? How is my mother going to look in three, six, or 12 months? Very often we cannot guide them very precisely, and it's crucial that we improve our predictions to guide their decision making."