Head Control Contributes to Prediction of Emergence From the Minimally Conscious State in Children Admitted to Inpatient Rehabilitation

Objective: To examine the utility of head and trunk control, assessed using the Physical Abilities and Mobility Scale, for predicting emergence from a minimally conscious state (eMCS) among children with acquired brain injury admitted to inpatient rehabilitation in a disorder of consciousness (DoC). Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Pediatric inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Participants: Forty patients (2-21 years-old) directly admitted from acute care to pediatric inpatient brain injury rehabilitation in a DoC (average length of stay=85 days; N=40). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: State of consciousness (eMCS vs not) at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Results: Forty-five percent of patients emerged from a minimally conscious state during inpatient rehabilitation. Admission state of consciousness and head control (but not trunk control) were significantly associated with eMCS and provided complementary prognostic information. Admission state of consciousness (ie, admitting in a vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome) afforded the greatest negative predictive value (93.8%), whereas admission head control ability afforded the greatest positive predictive value (81.8% for any independent head control; 100% for maintaining head-up position for >30 seconds). Fifty percent of patients who emerged during the inpatient stay did not have independent head control at admission, highlighting the importance of exploring head control as a prognostic marker in conjunction with indicators with greater sensitivity (eg, state of consciousness at admission). Conclusions: A brief measure of head control at admission may contribute to identification of a subgroup of patients who are likely to emerge.