Disappearance of decortication rigidity during sleep

Coma and other disorders of consciousness

Jouvet M.
Handbook of Clinical Neurology Vol.3. P. J. Vinken and G. W. Bruyn , eds. North-Holland Publishing Company. Amsterdam,(1969)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Physiopathological basis of coma (introductory remarks)

Nervous structures necessary for consciousness

Periodic physiological dissolution of consciousness: sleep and coma

From experimental to clinical neurophysiology

Physiopathology of nervous lesions responsible for coma

Aetiological classification of comas and of disturbances of consciousness of organic origin

Symptomatological classification of coma

Tentative anatomoclinical classification

FIGURES

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Figure 2 : Disappearance of decortication rigidity during sleep

(A) Waking state (eyes open) in a patient pre senting a chronic syndrome of decortication for several months. Note the numerous muscular artefacts on the EEG leads, as well as the high muscle activity in the biceps.

(B) Disappearance of muscle activity during a period of paradoxical sleep characterized by the rapid eye movements (4th line).

Calibration: 1 sec 50 microV