Table 1.

Future research needs for investigating mechanisms of consciousness toward improved diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of DOC

Research need: establish a framework for differentiating clinical subtypes of DOC with concepts of C-EC-R
Research need: identify links between structural brain damage and abnormal brain function in DOC
Form a complete mapping of DOC structural damage to functions of interest across multiple temporal and spatial scales
Identify structural correlates of relevant biomarkers of brain function in DOC patients derived from different approaches, e.g., information theory, graph theory, and dynamical systems theory
Research need: provide an integrated understanding of DOC across biological micro- and macroscales
Develop clinically relevant animal models of DOC for translational research approaches
Identify the role of subcortical structures and their interplay with the cortex in heterogeneous DOC
Associate microscale (neuronal and nonneuronal), and subcellular (molecular and genetic) mediators, with in vivo manifestations in patients with DOC
Research need: induce integration between theory-driven and data-driven approaches
Develop precise theoretical predictions and further biomarkers to address each dimension of the C-EC-R framework
Build a comprehensive set of data-driven and theory-driven biomarkers addressing different levels of analysis
Compare and develop existing theories in adversarial collaboration between theory leaders
Research need: integrate levels of description, imaging modalities, and theoretical approaches
Analyze multilevel and multimodal data from large-scale data sets to construct more realistic computational models of DOC
Develop personalized medicine models to guide treatment based on individual patients’ multimodal data

C-EC-R consciousness, environmental connectedness, and responsiveness, DOC disorders of consciousness