title: Alpha, theta and alpha-theta coma: a clinical outcome study utilizing serial recordings.
abstract: Alpha coma (AC), theta coma (TC) and alpha-theta coma (ATC) are transient clinical-electroencephalographic phenomena which do not differ from each other in etiology or outcome and are indicative of a severe disturbance in thalamo-cortical physiology. Although most patients do poorly, these patterns are not reliably predictive of outcome, regardless of etiology. We found that AC, TC or ATC usually change to a more definitive pattern by 5 days from coma onset. EEG reactivity in subsequent patterns is relatively favorable, while a burst-suppression pattern without reactivity is unfavorable in anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Victoria Hospital, London, Canada.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Blume
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Demelo
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McKeown
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: McLachlan
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Schieven
mesh_terms: D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003128:Coma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D013826:Theta Rhythm