Functional MRI for Assessment of the Default Mode Network in Acute Brain Injury

Background Assessment of the default mode network (DMN) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may improve assessment of the level of consciousness in chronic brain injury, and therefore, fMRI may also have prognostic value in acute brain injury. However, fMRI is much more challenging in critically ill patients because of cardiovascular vulnerability, intravenous sedation, and artificial ventilation.