Disorders of consciousness, including coma, can be induced by various causes, both traumatic and non-traumatic, which disrupt specific anatomical structures of the central nervous system responsible for arousal and awareness. This clinical reality raises fundamental questions about the mechanisms underlying consciousness. Over the past few decades, numerous theories of consciousness have emerged, each requiring rigorous experimental validation. This validation has proven challenging for the scientific community, which seeks to unify measurable physiological aspects of consciousness with clinical outcomes. Recent advancements in neuroanatomy and functional imaging have begun to elucidate the primary anatomical sites and processes related to coma mechanisms and disorders of consciousness. However, these findings also introduce new challenges in redefining prognostic expectations, life-support tools, and rehabilitative treatments, alongside emerging neuroethical debates that will likely intensify in the near future.
This Research Topic aims to collect studies from both clinical and non-clinical researchers to provide the most updated and potentially unifying data across the full spectrum of arousal and awareness mechanisms, from disorders of consciousness to experimentally verifiable theories of consciousness. The goal is to gather robust analyses from researchers dealing with either clinical or theoretical aspects of disorders of consciousness, coma mechanisms, and theories of consciousness. By doing so, we hope to offer readers unifying views or directions for this ultimate frontier of neuroscience. Contributions from neuropharmacology and anesthesiology experts are also highly encouraged.
To gather further insights into the boundaries of this Research Topic, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Neuroanatomical and functional imaging studies related to disorders of consciousness
- Experimental validation of theories of consciousness
- Mechanisms of arousal and awareness in clinical and non-clinical settings
- Prognostic tools and life-support systems for patients with disorders of consciousness
- Rehabilitative treatments for coma and related conditions
- Neuroethical considerations in the treatment and study of consciousness disorders
- Contributions from neuropharmacology and anesthesiology in understanding consciousness mechanisms
Keywords: Clinical imaging, neurophysiological, neuropathology, neuroethics studies, disorders of consciousness, coma mechanisms, theories of consciousness, consciousness, neuropharmacology, anesthesiology
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
