METHOD FOR DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTICS OF VEGETATIVE CONDITION AND CONDITION OF MINIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISORDERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS Russian patent published in 2018 - IPC A61B5/55 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of medicine, namely to neurology and radiation diagnosis, and can be used for the differential diagnosis of the vegetative state and the state of minimal consciousness in patients with chronic impairment of consciousness. MRI scans of the brain are performed in a spin echo sequence, producing T2-weighted images of the brain in the axial plane, and 3D gradient echo, producing T1 weighted images in the sagittal plane. Absence of general atrophy of the cortex, moderate and pronounced changes in internal and external hydrocephalus, leukoaraiosis, degeneration of the corpus callosum and foci in it and degeneration of the brainstem are estimated to be 0 points. General atrophy of the cortex, degeneration of the brainstem, foci in the corpus callosum, and moderate manifestations of internal hydrocephalus are estimated at 1 point, when the Evans index is 0.31–0.74, and external hydrocephalus – when the subarachnoid furrows expand to 0.4 cm, leukoaraiosis in the form of diffuse zones of altered intensity of the MR signal near the lateral ventricles and degeneration of the corpus callosum when the thickness of its middle sections is 0.2–0.4 cm. Presence of pronounced manifestations of internal hydrocephalus is estimated at 2 points when the Evans index is more than 0.74, external hydrocephalus – when the expansion of subarachnoid furrows over 0.4 cm, leukoaraiosis in the form of diffuse zones of altered intensity of the MR signal around the lateral ventricles, which merge into extensive zones, extending to the whole white matter up to the cortex and degeneration of the corpus callosum, when the thickness of its middle parts is less than 0.2 cm. Then, a total sum of points is calculated and if it equals 6 and more, a vegetative state is established; if it equals less than 6, a state of minimal consciousness is established.

EFFECT: method provides an increase in the reliability and accuracy of the differential diagnosis of the vegetative state and the state of minimal consciousness in patients with chronic impairment of consciousness due to the objectification of the detection of brain damage using MRI scans and calculation of the total sum of points of brain damage.

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