On September 26–27, St. Petersburg hosted the congress with international participation 21st Davidenkov Readings. The event focused on various neurological diseases: myasthenia gravis and neuromuscular disorders, neuroinfections, issues of psychoneurology, the problem of pain, neurorehabilitation, etc.
The specialists of the Study Group on Minimally Conscious State took part in the session devoted to prolonged disorders of consciousness. Its moderators Professor I. Voznyuk and head of the Study Group on Minimally Conscious State E. Kondratieva discussed the upcoming work on the first Russian clinical guidelines for chronic disorders of consciousness.
The session was attended by the specialists of the Research Center of Neurology (Moscow) and Burdenko National Medical Research Center for Neurosurgery (Moscow).
The specialists of the minimum consciousness group gave two presentations. M. Aybazova in her presentation entitled “Pathological afferentation limiting the recovery of consciousness in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness” presented the experience of assessing pain in patients by the ANI monitor as well as working with ITMO University specialists to create a special jacket for rehabilitation. The jacket has electrodes that assess heart rate variability and recognize the presence of pain in an unconscious patient. It changes color depending on the threshold of pain in a patient, turning red when there is a distinct sensation of pain.
M. Aybazova giving a presentation
A. Kondratieva gave a presentation as part of the grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research “Results of hormones and natriuretic peptide in patients with chronic disorders of consciousness”.
Also, the participants of the event presented the first results of studies for sex hormones in women of reproductive age in a vegetative state and discussed the prospects for the use of hormone replacement therapy in this category of patients.