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Call for papers - Disorders of consciousness: understanding the spectrum to focus treatment

Guest Editors

Maude Beaudoin-Gobert, PhD, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, France
Emilio Garzon Cediel, MD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
Alfonso Magliacano, PsyD, PhD, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Italy
Valeria Pingue, MD, University of Pavia, Italy

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 12 September 2025

BMC Neurology invites researchers to contribute a new Collection focused on the management of disorders of consciousness (DoC) that arise after severe acquired brain injuries. We seek studies that explore medical guidelines, diagnostic procedures, risk factors, and prognostic indicators related to DoC, as well as the integration of palliative care in this context. The aim of this Collection is to enhance clinical practices and improve outcomes for patients experiencing DoC.

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Maude Beaudoin-Gobert, PhD, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, France

Dr Maude Beaudoin-Gobert is a researcher at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center. Her work focuses on understanding the functioning of cortical and subcortical networks in disorders of consciousness, employing advanced PET-MRI imaging, pharmacology, and the development of novel clinical assessment tools for patient care. With specialized expertise in how brain lesions affect monoaminergic systems, she investigates how these disruptions impact consciousness and cognition. She also leads translational projects that create innovative preclinical models for disorders of consciousness and awareness, bridging laboratory findings with clinical applications to improve diagnosis and therapeutic approaches, and advancing our understanding of neurological conditions affecting awareness and cognitive function.
 

Emilio Garzon Cediel, MD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Dr Emilio G. Cediel is a neurosurgeon from Colombia and currently a postdoctoral research associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to identify brain network abnormalities, particularly in epilepsy and severe acute brain injury. With clinical expertise in traumatic brain injury and disorders of consciousness, Dr Cediel is actively involved in designing clinical trials and developing rs-fMRI connectivity analysis strategies. His work bridges clinical care and data science, aiming to advance the use of rs-fMRI for optimizing treatment strategies in epilepsy and disorders of consciousness.
 

Alfonso Magliacano, PsyD, PhD, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Italy

Dr Alfonso Magliacano, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist and researcher at Fondazione Don Gnocchi ONLUS, Italy. His main work focuses on identifying clinical and neurophysiological markers for diagnostic and prognostic stratification of individuals with severe acquired brain injury and disorders of consciousness. He is a member of the Special Interest Group on Disorders of Consciousness of the International Brain Injury Association, and a member of the Scientific Panel on Coma and Disorders of Consciousness of the European Academy of Neurology.
 

Valeria Pingue, MD, University of Pavia, Italy

Dr Valeria Pingue, is a neurologist at Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri and a researcher at University of Pavia, Italy. Her work focuses on predicting neurological and functional outcomes in patients with severe acquired brain injury using clinical and neurophysiological markers and advanced PET-MRI imaging. With clinical expertise in traumatic brain injury and disorders of consciousness, she conducts clinical trials and researches aimed to understanding neurological conditions that influence recovery and to optimizing treatment strategies after severe brain injury.


 

About the Collection

BMC Neurology invites researchers to contribute a new Collection focused on the management of disorders of consciousness (DoC) that arise after severe acquired brain injuries. We seek studies that explore medical guidelines, diagnostic procedures, risk factors, and prognostic indicators related to DoC, as well as the integration of palliative care in this context. The aim of this Collection is to enhance clinical practices and improve outcomes for patients experiencing DoC.

DoC management is a critical area of neurology that requires a comprehensive understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, multimodal assessment, and therapeutic interventions. Guidelines serve as essential tools for clinicians, providing a framework for decision-making that can significantly impact patient outcomes. By synthesizing the latest research and clinical practices, quality of care for patients with DoC and their families will be advanced.

Advances in neuroimaging, biomarker identification, and therapeutic interventions have provided new insights into the complexities of DoC and their management. The integration of palliative care principles into DoC management has emerged as a crucial aspect of providing holistic care. Continued research in this field will help refine these guidelines, ensuring they are responsive to the evolving landscape of neurological care.

As research in DoC management progresses, we can anticipate advancements in personalized treatment approaches, improved prognostic tools, and enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration. Future studies may focus on the development of innovative rehabilitation strategies and the exploration of novel pharmacological agents that could optimize recovery outcomes for patients with DoC. By developing a deeper understanding of the factors influencing DoC and recovery, we can ultimately improve the quality of care and support for affected individuals and their families.

Topics of interest to this Collection include, but are not limited to:

  • Development of evidence-based medical guidelines for DoC management
  • Risk factors influencing outcomes in traumatic brain injury
  • Integration of palliative care in coma management
  • Prognostic indicators in DoC patients
  • Innovative rehabilitation strategies for DoC recovery
  • The role of neuroimaging in assessing DoC severity
  • Biomarkers for predicting recovery in DoC patients
  • Ethical considerations in the management of patients with DoC
  • Interdisciplinary approaches to DoC care
  • Novel pharmacological interventions for DoC management
  • Physiopathology of mechanisms supporting consciousness


Image credit: ©sudok1 / stock.adobe.com

  1. To establish a nomogram prediction model for the patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) caused by brain injury at six months based on behavioral scale scores, neuroelectro-physiological tech...

    Authors: Juanjuan Fu, Yongli Wu, Hui Feng, Fangyu Chen, Huiyue Feng, Huaping Pan and Hongxing Wang
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2025 25:175
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Disorders of consciousness: understanding the spectrum to focus treatment" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.