Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior
August 1, 2026
Matteo Fecchio, David R Schreier, Morgan K Cambareri et al.
Early detection of consciousness in critically ill patients with severe brain injuries can profoundly impact prognostication and clinical care decisions. Advanced multimodal protocols to detect signs of consciousness include standardized behavioral assessments, task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and task-based electroencephalography (EEG). However, these approaches have...
Nature and Science of Sleep
2025
David R Schreier, Matteo Fecchio, Christian S Guay et al.
Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a well-tolerated sedative drug that induces a sleep-like state. DEX sedation offers a model to study transitions between different states of consciousness (indicated by, eg, behavior, the electroencephalogram (EEG), or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) evoked EEG responses). However, the effects of repeated DEX exposure on recovery are poorly understood and will...
Clinical Neurophysiology
November 27, 2019
Olivia Gosseries, Matteo Fecchio, Audrey Wolff et al.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2019.11.011 1388-2457/ 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of In This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativ Cognitive trance is defined as a volitional, purposeful and selfinduced modified state of consciousness (inherited from shamanic traditional practice), characterized by lucid but narrowed awareness of...
Brain Stimulation
November 1, 2018
Olivier Bodart, Matteo Fecchio, Marcello Massimini et al.
Meditation can be conceptualized as a family of complex emotional and attentional regulatory training regimes developed for various ends, including the cultivation of well-being and emotional balance. Previous studies have demonstrated that meditation may have positive effects on self-awareness, emotion regulation, attention processes, and also structural neuroplasticity [1]. However, the...
Annals of Neurology
September 22, 2016
Silvia Casarotto, Angela Comanducci, Mario Rosanova et al.
504 citations
OBJECTIVE: Validating objective, brain-based indices of consciousness in behaviorally unresponsive patients represents a challenge due to the impossibility of obtaining independent evidence through subjective reports. Here we address this problem by first validating a promising metric of consciousness-the Perturbational Complexity Index (PCI)-in a benchmark population who could confirm the...
Clinical EEG and Neuroscience
2014
Simone Sarasso, Mario Rosanova, Adenauer G. Casali et al.
164 citations
We normally assess another individual's level of consciousness based on her or his ability to interact with the surrounding environment and communicate. Usually, if we observe purposeful behavior, appropriate responses to sensory inputs, and, above all, appropriate answers to questions, we can be reasonably sure that the person is conscious. However, we know that consciousness can be entirely...