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The Glasgow Coma Scale: a mathematical critique.

G B Bhatty·N Kapoor
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Abstract

The Glasgow Coma Scale permits 120 possible mathematical combinations of eye, verbal and motor scores. Out of these only about 15 are clinically valid and useful in the assessment of altered consciousness. A mathematical analysis of this pruned scale shows a predominant skew towards the motor response. Without clinically altering the scale. The numerical values can be modified to produce a more equitable dominance by each of the factors and greater precision. This is also necessary as the value of a unit is the same in the sum score, whether contributed by the eye, verbal or motor elements.

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ComaGlasgow Coma ScaleHumansModels, TheoreticalPrognosisJournal Article

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G B Bhatty, N Kapoor. 1993. The Glasgow Coma Scale: a mathematical critique.. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02112031

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Predicting coma and other low responsive patients outcome using event-related brain potentials: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the predictive power (odd ratio, OR) for awakening of auditory event-related potential (ERP) components in low responsive patients with stroke or hemorrhage, trauma, anoxic, post-operative, and metabolic encephalopathy etiologies. METHODS: We reviewed MEDLINE and analyzed citations for retrieved articles. Logistic regressions were applied on patient samples (Glasgow Coma Scale <12) across and for separate etiologies. RESULTS: For stroke and hemorrhage the ORs with 95% confidence intervals were: 2.05 [1.12-3.75] (N100), 4.47 [1.92-10.44] (MMN), 10.29 [2.00-52.79] (P300), for trauma: 1.63 [0.70-3.80] (N100), 4.72 [1.35-16.44] (MMN), 12.89 [4.82-34.43] (P300), anoxic: 8.03 [2.83-22.75] (N100), 15.50 [4.27-56.26] (MMN), 5.93 [2.38-14.77] (P300), post-operative: 10.66 [1.98-57.50] (N100), metabolic encephalopathy: 2.12 [0.34-13.13] (N100), 3.60 [0.28-46.36] (MMN), 7.71 [0.75-79.77] (P300), and all etiologies: 2.85 [1.91-4.27] (N100), 6.53 [3.55-12.01] (MMN), and 8.79 [4.88-15.83] (P300). Based on six N100 studies (N=548 patients), five MMN studies (N=470), and six P300 studies (N=313), the N100, MMN, or P300, when present, significantly predicted awakening, P300 and MMN being significantly better predictors than N100. CONCLUSIONS: The MMN and P300 appear to be reliable predictors of awakening. SIGNIFICANCE: The prognostic assessment of low responsive patients with auditory ERP should take into account both MMN and P300.

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