The Neural Correlates of Consciousness: A Spectral Exponent Approach to Diagnosing Disorders of Consciousness.
Brain sciences April 4, 2025 Ying Zhao, Anqi Wang, Weiqiao Zhao et al. 5 citations
A neurophysiological biomarker called the spectral exponent (SE), which measures the steepness of the aperiodic (1/f) slope of EEG activity, can help distinguish levels of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). In a study of 15 DoC patients, 9 conscious brain-injured controls, and 23 healthy controls, narrowband SE (1-20 Hz) differentiated DoC patients from controls and minimally conscious from vegetative/unresponsive states. SE correlated positively with behavioral scores on the CRS-R, particularly the visual subscale. Longitudinal tracking in one patient showed a reduction in SE negativity, flattening of the 1/f slope, and parallel behavioral recovery. The SE offers an objective complement to subjective behavioral assessments.