Staff Detail

Dr. Joseph T. Giacino is the Director of Rehabilitation Neuropsychology at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and has a joint appointment as a Consulting Neuropsychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Giacino's clinical and research activities are centered on the development and application of novel assessment and treatment methods for individuals with severe acquired brain injury (ABI) and disorders of consciousness (DOC). He served as co-chair of the Aspen Workgroup (responsible for developing the diagnostic criteria for MCS) and was co-lead author of the Mohonk Report, a Congressionally-sponsored initiative to establish recommendations for lifelong care of patients with DOC. He currently chairs the VS/MCS Guideline Development Panel of the American Academy of Neurology which is responsible for revising existing guidelines for management of patients with DOC. He is principle investigator on a project funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to develop novel fMRI paradigms to assess the integrity of language and visual processing networks in patients with DOC and serves as Project Director of a 12-site clinical trial of amantadine hydrochloride (AH) funded through NIDRR's Collaborative Projects award mechanism to determine whether AH facilitates functional recovery in patients with prolonged disturbances in consciousness. He also served as Co-PI of an FDA-approved pilot study of deep brain stimulation aimed at promoting recovery of speech and motor functions in patients with chronic post-traumatic MCS.

Peer-Reviewed Research

Lovstad M, Froslie KS, Giacino J, Skandsen T, Anke A, Schanke AK. Reliability and diagnostic characteristics of the JFK Coma Recovery Scale- Revised: Further validation and assessment of rater?s level of experience. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, in press.

Giacino J, Schnakers C, Rodriguez-Moreno D, Kalmar K, Schiff N, Hirsch J. Behavioral assessment in patients with disorders of consciousness: Gold standard or fool?s gold? Progress in Brain Research 2009;177:33-48.

Majerus S, Bruno M-A, Schnakers C, Giacino J, Laureys S. The problem of aphasia in assessment of consciousness. Progress in Brain Research 2009;177:49-61.

Whyte J, Gosseries O, Chervoneva I, DiPasquale M, Giacino J, Kalmar K, Katz D, Novak P, Long D, Childs N, Mercer W, Maurer P, Eifert B. Predictors of short-term outcome in brain injured patients with disorders of consciousness. Progress in Brain Research 2009;177:63-72.

Schnakers C, Vanhaudenhuyse A, Giacino J, Ventura M, Boly M, Majerus S, Moonen G, Laureys S. Diagnostic accuracy of the vegetative and minimally conscious state: Clinical consensus versus standardized neurobehavioral assessment. BMC Neurology 2009;9:35.

Schiff ND, Giacino JT, Fins J. Deep brain stimulation, neuroethics and the minimally conscious state: Moving beyond proof of principle. Arch Neurol 2009;66(6):697-702.

Illes J, Lau P, Giacino J. Neuroimaging, impaired states of consciousness and public outreach. Nature- Clinical Practice Neurology 2008;4(10):542-543.

McKinney JS, Giacino JT. Diagnostic accuracy in disorders of consciousness. Neurologist 2008;15(5):340.

Schnakers C, Majerus S, Giacino J, Vanhaudenhuyes A, Bruno MA, Boly M, Moonen G, Damas P, Lambermont P, Lamy M, Damas F, Ventura M, Laureys S. A French validation study of the Coma Recovery Scale- Revised. Brain Injury, 2008;22(10):786-792.

Vanhaudenhuyse A, Giacino J, Schnakers C, Kalmar K, Smart C, Bruno MA, Gosseries O, Moonen G, Laureys S. Blink to visual threat does not herald consciousness in the vegetative state. Neurology 2008;71(17):1374-1375.

Smart C, Giacino J, Cullen T, Rodriguez-Moreno D, Hirsch J, Schiff N, Gizzi M. Locked-in syndrome complicated by central deafness: Neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings. Nature- Clinical Practice Neurology 2008;4(8):448-453.

Hanks RA, Millis SR, Ricker JH, Giacino JT, Nakase-Richardson R, Frol AB, Novack TA, Kalmar K, Sherer M, Gordon W. The predictive validity of a brief inpatient neuropsychologic battery for persons with traumatic brain injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2008;89(5):950-957.

Kalmar K, Novack TA, Nakase-Richardson R, Sherer M, Frol AB, Gordon W, Hanks RA,Giacino JT, Ricker JH. The feasability of a brief neuropsychologic test battery during acute inpatient rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2008;89(5):942-949.

Giacino J, Smart C. Recent advances in behavioral assessment of individuals with disorders of consciousness. Current Opinion in Neurology 2007;20(6):614-619.

Fins JJ, McMaster M, Gerber L, Giacino JT. The minimally conscious state: A diagnosis in search of an epidemiology. Arch Neurol 2007;64(10):1400-1405.

Schiff ND, Giacino JT (co-lead author), Kalmar K, Victor JD, Baker K, Gerber M, Fritz B, Eisenberg B, O?Connor JO, Kobylarz EJ, Farris S, Machado A, McCagg C, Plum F, Fins JJ, Rezai A. Behavioral improvements with thalamic stimulation after severe traumatic brain injury. Nature 2007;448(Aug 2):600-604.

Laureys S, Giacino J, Schiff N, Schabus M, Owen A. "How should functional imaging of patients with disorders of consciousness contribute to their clinical rehabilitation needs" Current Opinion in Neurology 2006;19:520-527.

Giacino J, Hirsch J, Schiff N, Laureys S. Functional neuroimaging applications for assessment and rehabilitation planning in patients with disorders of consciousness. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2006;87(Suppl 2):S67-S76.

Schnakers C, Giacino J, Kalmar K, Piret S, Lopez E, Boly M, Malone R, Laureys S. "Does the FOUR score correctly diagnose the vegetative and minimally conscious states" [letter] Annals of Neurology 2006;60(6):744-745.

Voss HU, Ulug AM, Dyke JP, Watts R, Kobylarz EJ, McCandliss B, Heier LA, Beattie BJ, Hamacher KA, Vallabhajosula S, Goldsmith SJ, Ballon D, Giacino JT, Schiff ND. "Axonal re-growth in late recovery from the minimally conscious state" J of Clinical Investigation 2006;116:205-211.

Giacino, J. The minimally conscious state: Defining the borders of consciousness. In: Laureys S (ed.): Progress in Brain Research, The Boundaries of Consciousness: Neurobiology and Neuropathology. Amsterdam, Elsevier, 2005;150:381-395.

Cicerone K, Dahlberg C, Malec JF, Langenbahn D, Felicetti T, Kneipp S, Ellmo W, Kalmar K, Giacino JT, Harley JP, Laatsch L, Morse P, Catanese J. Evidence-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation: Updated Review of the Literature from 1998 through 2002. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2005;86:1681-1692.

Giacino J. Diagnostic and prognostic guidelines for the vegetative and minimally conscious states. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2005;15(3-4):166-174.

Kalmar K, Giacino J. The JFK Coma Recovery Scale- Revised. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2005;15(3-4):454-460.

Moussouttas M, Giacino J, Papamitsakis NI. Amnestic syndrome of the subcallosal artery. Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2005;19:410-414.

Whyte J, Katz D, Long D, DiPasquale M, Polansky M, Kalmar K, Giacino J, Childs N, Mercer W, Novak P, Maurer P, Eifert B. Predictors of Outcome in Prolonged Posttraumatic Disorders of Consciousness and Assessment of Medication Effects: A Multicenter Study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2005;86:453-462.

Schiff ND, Rodriguez-Moreno D, Kamal A, Kim KHS, Giacino J, Plum F, Hirsch J. Functional MRI reveals large scale network activation in minimally conscious patients. Neurology, 2005;64:514-523.

Giacino J, Whyte J. The vegetative and minimally conscious states: Current knowledge and remaining questions. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2005;20(1):30-50.

Giacino J. The vegetative and minimally conscious states: Consensus-based criteria for establishing diagnosis and prognosis. Neurorehabilitation, 2004;19(4):293-298.

Giacino JT, Kalmar K, Whyte J. The JFK Coma Recovery Scale- Revised: Measurement Characteristics and Diagnostic Utility. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2004;85(12):2020-2029.

Giacino JT, Trott C. Rehabilitative Management of Patients with Disorders of Consciousness : Grand Rounds. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2004;19(3):262-273.

Schiff N, Ribary U, Rodriguez-Moreno D, Beattie B, Kronberg E, Blasberg R, Giacino J, McCagg C, Fins J, Llinas R, Plum F. Residual Cerebral Activity and Behavioral Fragments Can Remain in the Persistently Vegetative Brain. Brain, 2002;125:1210-1234.

Giacino JT, Ashwal S, Childs N, Cranford R, Jennett B, Katz DI, Kelly JP, Rosenberg JH, Whyte J, Zafonte RD, Zasler ND. The minimally conscious state: Definition and diagnostic criteria. Neurology, 2002;58:349-353.

Cicerone K, Dahlberg C, Kalmar K, Langenbahn D, Malec JF, Berquist TF, Felicetti T, Giacino JT, Harley JP, Harrington D, Herzog J, Kneipp S, Laatsch L, Morse P. Evidence-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation: Recommendations for Clinical Practice. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2001;81:1596-1614.

Feinberg, TE, Eaton LA, Roane, DM and Giacino, JT. Multiple Fregoli Delusions After Traumatic Brain Injury. Cortex. 1999;35:373-387.

Giacino, JT, Cicerone KD. Varieties of Deficit Unawareness After Brain Injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. 1998;13(5):1-15.

Giacino, JT. (Guest Editor). Preface to Disorders of Consciousness. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. 1997;12(4):vii-viii.

Giacino, JT, Kalmar, KA. The Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States: A comparison of clinical features and functional outcome during the first year post-injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. 1997;12(4):36-51.

Giacino, JT, Zasler ND, Katz D, Kelly JP, Rosenberg MD, Filley C. Development of Practice Guidelines for Assessment and Management of the Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States. Journal Head Trauma Rehabilitation. 1997;12(4):79-89.

Giacino, JT. Disorders of Consciousness: Diagnostic Considerations and Limits of Certainty. Seminars in Neurology 1997;17(2):105-11 .

Giacino, JT. (Guest Editor). Introduction to Evaluation and Management of Low Level Neurologic States. Neurorehabilitation. 1996;6:1-2.

Giacino, JT. Sensory Stimulation: Theoretical Perspectives and the Evidence for Effectiveness. Neurorehabilitation. 1996;6:69-78.

Giacino, J., Zasler, N., Whyte, J., Katz, D., Glenn, M., and Andary, M. Recommendations for Use of Uniform Nomenclature Pertinent to Patients with Severe Alterations in Consciousness. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 1995;76(2):205-209.

Giacino, J. and Zasler, N. Outcome Following Severe Brain Injury: The Comatose, Vegetative and Minimally Responsive Patient. Journal of Head Trauma

Rehabilitation. 1995;10(1):40-56.

Cicerone, K. and Giacino, J. Remediation of Executive Function Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurorehabilitation, 1992(3):12-22.

Giacino, J., Kezmarsky, M., DeLuca, J. and Cicerone, K. Monitoring Rate of Recovery to Predict Outcome in Minimally Responsive Patients. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 1991;72(Oct):897-901.

Giacino, J. Neuropsychological Contributions to Understanding and Remediating Disorders of Behavior, Cognition and Emotion. Learning Consultant Journal, 1989;10: 31-34.