Consciousness and Disorders

Question 1

What is consciousness

Answer 1

ability to be aware of self and surroundings

Question 2

External, 3rd person, objective, behavioral

Answer 2

wakefulness
background emotions
attention
purposeful behavior

Question 3

core consciousness

Answer 3

• sense of ourselves in here & now
• sense of objects in here & now
• sense of relationship between objects & ourselves
• does NOT depend on LTM
• location in cingulate cortex and projects to cortical regions to provide sense of self

Question 4

extended consciousness

Answer 4

• sense of ourselves in flow of time
• thinking about ourselves in the past
• forecast ourselves living in future
  AKA autobiographical self

Question 5

extended consciousness depends on

Answer 5

long term memory
core consciousness

Question 6

reticular formation

Answer 6

network of neurons located in b.stem

spans from medulla to midbrain

receives sensory input from body and sends signal to areas of the b.stem

Question 7

reticular activating system (RAS)

Answer 7

part of reticular formation

sends info thru thalamus to cerebral cortex to play a role in wakeful/alertnes

ascending reticular activating system

communicates from thalamus to cortex (prefrontal)

Question 8

functions of RAS

Answer 8

• cortical arousal
• cortical wakefulness
• conciousness
• fight or flight
• attention
• muscle tone

Question 9

damage to RAS

Answer 9

coma

Question 10

Glasgow Coma Scale

Answer 10

15 point scale that attempts to measure a person’s level of conciousness

Question 11

GCS levels of consciousness

Answer 11

13 or greater: possible minor B.Injury
9-12: moderate brain injury
less than 9: severe brain injury
less than 8: coma

Question 12

assessing consciousness

Answer 12

3 areas:
Eyes - 4
Verbal - 5
Motor - 6

Question 13

Rancho Levels of Cognitive Functioning

Answer 13

8-level scale that tracks a person’s emergence from a coma

Question 14

levels of RLCF

Answer 14

level I: lowest level
level VIII: highest level

want them at 8

Question 15

Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)

Answer 15

• no purposeful response to stimuli
• no b.stem reflexes
• demonstrate sleep-wake cycle
• demonstrate EEG patterns

Question 16

Dementia

Answer 16

greatest effect on extended consciousness & loss of autobiographical self

core consciousness will begin to be affected in the later stages of the disease

Question 17

Coma stimulation

Answer 17

systematic application of stimulation to a person’s five senses

Question 18

purpose of coma stimulation

Answer 18

to speed emergence from coma

Question 19

Auditory brainstem response

Answer 19

non behavioral measures must be used

ABR does not require patient to respond (newborns)

measures electrical activity in auditory pathway as sound is introduced