Alpha, theta and alpha-theta coma: a clinical outcome study utilizing serial recordings.
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.
Young
G B
GB
Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Victoria Hospital, London, Canada.
Blume
W T
WT
Campbell
V M
VM
Demelo
J D
JD
Leung
L S
LS
McKeown
M J
MJ
McLachlan
R S
RS
Ramsay
D A
DA
Schieven
J R
JR
D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003128:Coma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D013826:Theta Rhythm