ABSTRACT
The instrumental investigation of consciousness has witnessed an astonishing progress over the last years. Different neurotechnological tools and methods have been developed in order to assess consciousness in not yet verbally communicative subjects such as infants and to assess residual consciousness in no longer verbally communicative subjects such as patients with Disorders of Consciousness (DOCs). Neuroimaging technologies, particularly the functional neuroimaging technologies, give us the possibility to see what happens in the brain during the execution of particular tasks. Several important conceptual issues arise from neurotechnological assessments of consciousness, particularly concerning the connection between cerebral structure and architecture on the one hand and the conscious mind on the other. Neuroscience and neurotechnology promise to give new, innovative tools for exploring these 'edge' conditions, with possibilities to improve their care and management. The identification of the activated areas and the real-time observation of the cerebral activity potentially allow a new form of technology-based communication without first-person overt behavior or speech.
