Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38243150›Full record

ReviewNeurocritical care2024

Disclosing Results of Tests for Covert Consciousness: A Framework for Ethical Translation.

Michael J Young, Karnig Kazazian, David Fischer, India A Lissak, Yelena G Bodien, Brian L Edlow

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Neurocritical care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Covert brain complexity in the intensive care unit.Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Covert consciousness: what's in a name?Brain : a journal of neurology · 2025
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Covert consciousness.NeuroRehabilitation · 2024
    Article
  13. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Michael J YoungCenter for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 310, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. michael.young@mgh.harvard.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-6661-0811
Karnig KazazianCenter for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 310, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
David FischerUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
India A LissakCenter for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 310, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Yelena G BodienCenter for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 310, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Brian L EdlowCenter for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 310, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Funding

A Connectome-Based Clinical Trial Platform to Promote Early Recovery of Consciousness after Traumatic ComaDP2HD101400 · NICHD · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI EDLOW, BRIAN L. · 2019 to 2019
$2.5M
An Ethical Approach to Detecting Covert ConsciousnessF32MH123001 · NIMH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI YOUNG, MICHAEL J · 2020 to 2022
$159k
ACL HHS 90DP0039ACL HHS 90DPTB0011NCCDPHP CDC HHS U48 DP000039NICHD NIH HHS DP2 HD101400NIH BRAIN Initiative F32MH123001NIH Bridge2AI OT2OD0327-01NIH Director's Office DP2HD101400NIMH NIH HHS F32 MH123001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The advent of neurotechnologies including advanced functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography to detect states of awareness not detectable by traditional bedside neurobehavioral techniques (i.e., covert consciousness) promises to transform neuroscience research and clinical practice for patients with brain injury. As these interventions progress from research tools into actionable, guideline-endorsed clinical tests, ethical guidance for clinicians on how to responsibly communicate the sensitive results they yield is crucial yet remains underdeveloped. Drawing on insights from empirical and theoretical neuroethics research and our clinical experience with advanced neurotechnologies to detect consciousness in behaviorally unresponsive patients, we critically evaluate ethical promises and perils associated with disclosing the results of clinical covert consciousness assessments and describe a semistructured approach to responsible data sharing to mitigate potential risks.

Indexed as

ConsciousnessElectroencephalographyBrain InjuriesConsciousness DisordersDisclosureHumansPersistent Vegetative StateCognitive motor dissociationComaCovert consciousnessDisorders of consciousnessElectroencephalographyFunctional magnetic resonance imagingMinimally conscious stateNeuroethicsUnresponsive wakefulness syndromeVegetative state

Identifiers

PMID38243150
PMCPMC11147696

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.