Disorders of Consciousness in Children: Assessment, Treatment, and Prognosis

Children with acquired brain injury may experience prolonged disorders of consciousness (DoC); research on children with DoC lags behind adult literature. Rigorous evaluation of assessment tools used in children with DoC is lacking, though recent developments may contribute to improvements in care, particularly for assessment of young children and those without overt command following. Literature on prognosis continues to grow, reinforcing that early signs of consciousness suggest better long-term outcome. Although large clinical trials for children with DoC are lacking, single-site and multisite programmatic data inform standards of care and treatment options for children with DoC.

Automated summary

Research on children with disorders of consciousness (DoC) lags behind adult literature, and there is a lack of rigorous evaluation of assessment tools for this population. However, recent developments show promise in improving assessment for young children and those without overt command following. Early signs of consciousness are associated with better long-term outcomes. Although large clinical trials are lacking, programmatic data provide valuable information for standards of care and treatment options for children with DoC.