Leveraging meaning-induced neural dynamics to detect covert cognition via EEG during natural language listening—a case series

TL;DR

This study introduces a method using EEG to detect hidden cognitive abilities in brain-injured patients while they listen to a story.

Contribution

A novel EEG-based tool that identifies covert cognition without requiring attention or memory.

Findings

The method detected acoustic and semantic processing in two brain-injured adolescents.

It does not require attention, memory, or executive function from the participants.

This could enable graded assessments of cognitive recovery in patients with disorders of consciousness.

Abstract

At least a quarter of adult patients with severe brain injury in a disorder of consciousness may have cognitive abilities that are hidden due to motor impairment. In this case series, we developed a tool that extracted acoustic and semantic processing biomarkers from electroencephalography recorded while participants listened to a story. We tested our method on two male adolescent survivors of severe brain injury and showed evidence of acoustic and semantic processing. Our method identifies cognitive processing while obviating demands on attention, memory, and executive function. This lays a foundation for graded assessments of cognition recovery across the spectrum of covert cognition.

Figures