The Initiation of Swallowing Can Indicate the Prognosis of DOC

"Patients with disorders of consciousness were assessed by Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). In addition, we selected four stimuli: 1) only a command (as recommended in CRS-R), which was open your mouth; 2) only a spoon without a command; 3) a spoon and a command, the command was there is a spoon and open your mouth; 4) a spoon with water and a command, the command was there is a spoon with water and open your mouth. In brief, we presented these stimuli orderly in front of the patient's mouth and presented any one of them over 4 trials at 15 second intervals."