title: Functional brain imaging in the clinical assessment of consciousness.
abstract: Recent findings suggest that functional brain imaging might be used to identify consciousness in patients diagnosed with persistent vegetative state and minimally conscious state. Michael Rafii and James Brewer discuss the potential for fMRI's wider implementation in clinical practice, and associated caveats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rafii
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003128:Coma / Q000503:physiopathology; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging