The analysis of spontaneous EEG activity and evoked potentialsis a cornerstone of the instrumental evaluation of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). Thepast few years have witnessed an unprecedented surge in EEG-related research applied to the prediction and detection of recovery of consciousness after severe brain injury,opening up the prospect that new concepts and tools may be available at the bedside. This paper provides a comprehensive, critical overview of bothconsolidated and investigational electrophysiological techniquesfor the prognostic and diagnostic assessment of DoC.We describe conventional clinical EEG approaches, then focus on evoked and event-related potentials, and finally we analyze the potential of novel research findings. In doing so, we (i) draw a distinction between acute, prolonged and chronic phases of DoC, (ii) attempt to relate both clinical and research findings to the underlying neuronal processes and (iii) discuss technical and conceptual caveats.The primary aim of this narrative review is to bridge the gap between standard and emerging electrophysiological measures for the detection and prediction of recovery of consciousness. The ultimate scope is to provide a reference and common ground for academic researchers active in the field of neurophysiology and clinicians engaged in intensive care unit and rehabilitation.

中文翻译：

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意识障碍预后和诊断评估中的基础和高级神经生理学：对 IFCN 认可的专家组的审查

自发 EEG 活动和诱发电位的分析是对意识障碍 (DoC) 患者进行仪器评估的基石。过去几年见证了脑电图相关研究在严重脑损伤后意识恢复的预测和检测方面的空前激增，开辟了新的概念和工具在床边可用的前景。本文对用于 DoC 预后和诊断评估的综合和研究性电生理技术进行了全面、批判性的概述。我们描述了传统的临床 EEG 方法，然后关注诱发电位和事件相关电位，最后我们分析了新研究发现的潜力。在这样做时，我们 (i) 区分了 DoC 的急性、长期和慢性阶段，(ii) 尝试将临床和研究结果与潜在的神经元过程联系起来，以及 (iii) 讨论技术和概念上的警告。这篇叙述性评论的主要目的是弥合标准和新兴电生理措施之间的差距，用于检测和预测意识的恢复。最终范围是为活跃在神经生理学领域的学术研究人员和从事重症监护和康复治疗的临床医生提供参考和共同点。