Fractal theory: measurement of the different states of consciousness

The disorder of consciousness due to its complexity, it is very difficult to diagnose with accuracy. Especially in patients in a vegetative state and minimally conscious. 40% of patients with this condition are misdiagnosed. Techniques are used to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis neuroimaging along with behavioral methods.

Given the inefficiency of precision, a new tool has been studied: the fractal dimension. It makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis. This study comes from the University of Padua. Consciousness is one of the most challenging issues in neuroscience. It is divided into wakefulness (spontaneous periods with closing the eyes) and awareness (reaction to internal and external stimuli). By this classification, patients with impaired consciousness can be divided into: coma, vegetative state And minimal state of consciousness.

To measure the motor responses of people with impaired consciousness, there is the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. It is most commonly used but still has a high rate of error in diagnosing between minimal state of consciousness and vegetative state. Here, to overcome the problem, many mathematical models have been proposed. The most promising is the fractal dimension. It is derived from fractal objects, that is, geometric objects with the infinite repetition of their shape at different scales.

The research team led by Professor Camillo Porcaro from the University of Padua tested the fractal dimension. The experiment was on patients with a vegetative state and with a minimal state of consciousness. Then the comparison with healthy patients. The obtained result gives the opportunity to open new doors for the diagnosis of patients with impaired consciousness through the fractal dimension. It forms a kind of marker to distinguish with the greatest precision patients with minimal consciousness from those in a vegetative state. This reduces misdiagnosis at the level of: clinical application.