title: Supporting self-managed leisure engagement and communication in post-coma persons with multiple disabilities.
abstract: Post-coma persons affected by extensive motor impairment and lack of speech, with or without disorders of consciousness, need special support to manage leisure engagement and communication. These two studies extended research efforts aimed at assessing basic technology-aided programs to provide such support. Specifically, Study I assessed a program for promoting independent stimulation choice in four post-coma persons who combined motor and speech disabilities with disorders of consciousness (i.e., were rated between the minimally conscious state and the emergence from such state). Study II assessed a program for promoting independent television operation and basic communication in three post-coma participants who, contrary to those involved in Study I, did not have disorders of consciousness (i.e., had emerged from a minimally conscious state). The results of the studies were largely positive with substantial levels of independent stimulation choice and access for the participants of Study I and independent television operation and communication for the participants of Study II. The results were analyzed in relation to previous data in the area and in terms of their implications for daily contexts dealing with these persons.
authors.affiliation: University of Bari, Italy. Electronic address: giulio.lancioni@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, USA.
authors.forename: Nirbhay N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin, USA.
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.affiliation: Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.affiliation: "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta Olivetti
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Belardinelli
authors.affiliation: S. Raffaele Rehabilitation and Care Centers, Ceglie and Alberobello, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buonocunto
authors.affiliation: S. Raffaele Rehabilitation and Care Centers, Ceglie and Alberobello, Italy.
authors.forename: Fiora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: S. Raffaele Rehabilitation and Care Centers, Ceglie and Alberobello, Italy.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: S. Raffaele Rehabilitation and Care Centers, Ceglie and Alberobello, Italy.
authors.forename: Crocifissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lanzilotti
authors.affiliation: ISPE Medical Care Center, Mola di Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Floriana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denitto
authors.affiliation: University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Tommaso
authors.affiliation: University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003128:Coma / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003142:Communication; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018458:Persistent Vegetative State / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D013690:Television; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods
keywords: Communication; Emergence from MCS; Leisure engagement; Minimally conscious state (MCS); Technology-aided programs