Resting-State Functional MRI and Clinical Outcomes After Acute Disorders of Consciousness: A Systematic Review

Background and objectives: Accurate assessment and prognostication of patients with acute disorders of consciousness (DoC) after severe brain injury remain a substantial clinical challenge. Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) measures spontaneous, temporally correlated brain activity in the absence of external stimulation and provides objective insight into the integrity of large-scale neural networks that support brain function. Emerging evidence suggests that assessing neural integrity using rs-fMRI may improve outcome prediction in patients with acute DoC. This review summarizes the current evidence of rs-fMRI as an assessment tool during the acute phase of severe brain injury.