We will review recent studies that have expanded our understanding of the potential for late recovery of substantial cognitive function, and provide emerging insight into possible biological mechanisms at a ‘circuit-level’ underlying recovery of consciousness. In this presentation, we will review several recent findings from studies of recovery of brain function after severe injuries. The discussion will focus on novel neuroimaging paradigms that allow assessment of command following and communication in absence of overt behavior, observations of marked behavioral improvements following pharmacological interventions, and the results of a study demonstrating behavioral improvements with central thalamic stimulation in a single severely brain-injured human subject who had remained in the minimally conscious state (MCS) for 6 years. Collectively, these experimental and clinical data support further research to develop diagnostic and investigational therapeutic approaches at the ‘circuit-level’ to better address the problem of recovery of consciousness after severe brain injury.  

Biography 

Dr. Schiff’s research efforts bridge basic neuroscience and clinical investigative studies of the pathophysiology of impaired consciousness using state-of-the art neuroimaging and neurophysiologic techniques. This research program has provided new understanding of cerebral activity in severely brain injured-patients. Most recently, Dr. Schiff and colleagues have taken insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms of arousal regulation and of deep brain electrical stimulation techniques to demonstrate evidence that long-lasting, severe cognitive disability may be influenced by modulation of the central thalamus. This work is an important foundation for developing further understanding of both the mechanisms of recovery of consciousness and basic mechanisms underlying consciousness in the human brain.

Dr. Schiff is an elected member of the American Neurological Association and the recipient of several awards, including the 2007 Research Award for Innovation in Neuroscience from the Society for Neuroscience. Dr. Schiff's research is currently supported by the NIH-NICHD, NIH-NINDS, NEI-NIDDR, private foundations (The Jerold B. Katz Foundation, James S. McDonnell Foundation, and Swartz Foundation), and industry (IntElect Medical, Inc).