Logo Medical Science Monitor

Call: +1.631.470.9640
Mon - Fri 10:00 am - 02:00 pm EST

Contact Us

Logo Medical Science Monitor Logo Medical Science Monitor Logo Medical Science Monitor

01 February 2010

A misdiagnosed patient: 16 years of locked-in syndrome, the influence of rehabilitation

Malgorzata LukowiczABDEFG, Katarzyna MatuszakADEF, Anna D. TalarABDE

Med Sci Monit 2010; 16(2): CS18-23 :: ID: 878346

Abstract

Background
LiS can be mistakenly recognized as a vegetative state, minimally conscious state or akinetic mutism. It can be caused by isolated lesions--bilateral infarction, vertebrobasilar artery osslusion, haemorrhage or tumor of the ventral portion of the basis pontis or midbrain.
Material and Method
The case of a 65-year-old patient with a brain tumor localized in the posterior part of the posterior commissure of the brain was presented. He lost consciousness in 1991, was diagnosed as being at a terminal stage and from 2005 he started to improve. In MRI brain tumor stated in 1989 with the same localization and size in 2007 without any disturbance in cerebral fluid flow. The patients remained in this condition for 14 years without any rehabilitation, because he was diagnosed as a terminal stage, a non-operative stage. When exercises were introduced in 2005 the patient started to recover. In 2007 he was conscious with quadriplegia, a neuropsychological test showed memory problems, without any dementia. After intensive rehabilitation functional improvement and speech improvement was observed, GOS (4), Ranczo Los Amigos Scale (6), DRS (18).
Results

Conclusions
It is important to carry out full diagnostics before determining a terminal stage and to continue a rehabilitation program and multisensory stimulation. Even after 16 year of lying in bed without communication there is a chance in LiS to witness improvement after stimulation, without any signs of dementia.

Keywords: Quadriplegia - rehabilitation, Nutrition Therapy, Neuropsychological Tests, Music Therapy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Diagnostic Errors, Cognitive Therapy, Speech Therapy

Add Comment 0 Comments

Editorial

01 January 2026 : Editorial  

Editorial: Increasing Awareness of Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers and Never-Smokers Challenges Current Approaches to Prevention and Screening

Dinah V. Parums ORCID logo

DOI: 10.12659/MSM.952454

Med Sci Monit 2026; 32:e952454

0:00

In Press

Clinical Research  

Institutional and Regional Variations in Access to Clinical Trials and Next-Generation Sequencing in Turkis...

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.951027  

Clinical Research  

Low-Intensity Blood Flow-Restricted Multi-Joint Exercise Improves Muscle Function in Patients With Patellof...

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.950516  

Review article  

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and MRI in the Evaluation of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Review

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.951283  

Clinical Research  

Sensory Processing, Dissociation, and Affective Symptoms in Misophonia: A Cross-Sectional Study of 35 Adults

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.950938  

Most Viewed Current Articles

17 Jan 2024 : Review article   10,187,196

Vaccination Guidelines for Pregnant Women: Addressing COVID-19 and the Omicron Variant

DOI :10.12659/MSM.942799

Med Sci Monit 2024; 30:e942799

0:00

13 Nov 2021 : Clinical Research   3,708,487

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination and Its Associated Factors Among Cancer Patients Attending the Oncology ...

DOI :10.12659/MSM.932788

Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e932788

0:00

14 Dec 2022 : Clinical Research   2,341,643

Prevalence and Variability of Allergen-Specific Immunoglobulin E in Patients with Elevated Tryptase Levels

DOI :10.12659/MSM.937990

Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e937990

0:00

16 May 2023 : Clinical Research   706,524

Electrophysiological Testing for an Auditory Processing Disorder and Reading Performance in 54 School Stude...

DOI :10.12659/MSM.940387

Med Sci Monit 2023; 29:e940387

0:00

Your Privacy

We use cookies to ensure the functionality of our website, to personalize content and advertising, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. If you allow us to do so, we also inform our social media, advertising and analysis partners about your use of our website, You can decise for yourself which categories you you want to deny or allow. Please note that based on your settings not all functionalities of the site are available. View our privacy policy.

Medical Science Monitor eISSN: 1643-3750
Medical Science Monitor eISSN: 1643-3750