Auditory Processing in DOC Patients

Inclusion Criteria: * Presence of a disorder of consciousness (Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome \[UWS\] or Minimally Conscious State \[MCS\]), classified using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) based on three assessments conducted on at least two separate days * Age between 18 and 80 years * Written informed consent provided by the patient's legal representative * Preserved brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) on at least one side Exclusion Criteria: * Ongoing sedation at the time of EEG assessment * Current treatment with medications known to significantly affect cortical functional state, including barbiturates, neuroleptics (antipsychotics), antiepileptic drugs, benzodiazepines, or comparable agents * Colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms requiring isolation precautions (e.g., 4MRGN) * Pregnancy * Impaired language comprehension (e.g., insufficient German language proficiency or aphasia) * Temporal bone fractures or severe infratentorial brain injury associated with unilateral or bilateral absence of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) * Bilateral hearing impairment or deafness, or presence of a cochlear implant * Scalp wounds or conditions preventing placement of an EEG electrode cap