Validating the MATADOC Against Best Practice Standard External Reference Standard

Adult patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC), but who have not been
diagnosed as Minimally Conscious or Vegetative State, will be recruited. All participants
will be assessed using the Music Therapy Assessment Tool for Awareness in Disorders of
Consciousness (MATADOC) standardized protocol. Assessment intervention will take place in
four individual clinical contacts, over a 16 day period. Data will be collected using the
MATADOC rating form and scored according to the MATADOC manual. Participants will
concurrently be assessed with Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R).

The MATADOC is implemented by Music Therapists who have been trained in its use and who are
experienced in working with adults with PDOC. CRS-R data will be collected by members of the
treatment team who are experienced or trained in its use. MATADOC and CRS-R assessors will
remain blinded to the data collected.

Analysis will compare diagnostic outcomes of the two measures as well as explore the function
of comparable items of each measure across similar domains (e.g. auditory, visual).

Inclusion Criteria:

- Medically stable patients (i.e. not currently suspected of or under investigation for
infection)who have a prolonged disorder of consciousness i.e. has persisted for longer
than 4 weeks

- Between the ages of 18 and 70 years of age

- A diagnosis of awareness (i.e., VS, MCS or emergent) is not confirmed or is under
investigation

- Fluent in English language comprehension as reported by the family

Exclusion Criteria:

- Known pre-morbid hearing impairments

- The patient has a previous diagnosis of musicogenic epilepsy

- The patient had previously refused music therapy intervention

- Patients with a suspected diagnosis of locked-in syndrome

- Non-fluent in English comprehension as reported by family.