The locked-in syndrome: a challenge for therapy.
The locked-in syndrome (LIS) is a severe condition originated by a ventral pons lesion causing quadriplegia and anarthria but with a preserved consciousness. LIS seems to be a well defined clinical picture, although different problems still persist, such as the diagnosis as it is usually mistaken for akinetic mutism and a vegetative state; the unclear prognosis, because of the patient's psychological state and the lack of information and data concerning the different types of available treatment and the need for results. Rehabilitation is a challenge for physicians, new methods and techniques of specialized treatments for these patients are opening a new future that will allow us to abandon the initial pessimism. A more efficient rehabilitation of these patients depends on the intensity of the rehabilitation, the multidisciplinary approach, and duration of the treatment.
León-Carrión
J
J
Laboratory of Neuropsychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain. leoncarrion@us.es
Van Eeckhout
P
P
Domínguez-Morales
M R
MR
D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011379:Prognosis; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index