Wessex Head Injury Matrix

The Wessex Head Injury matrix (WHIM) is an English neuropsychological score for the evaluation of patients of a coma awake, and of patients in vegetative ( vegetative state , coma vigil , persistent vegetative state ) and minimally responsive ( minimally conscious state , MCS) states .

Developed in 2000 at the University of Southampton , the system is designed to monitor cognitive functions during rehabilitation after severe brain damage.

The scale consists of a sequence of a maximum of 62 items (observable parameters) on communication skills, cognitive skills and social interaction. The WHIM can be used for patients aged 16 and over and can be performed by any number of examiners over unrestricted observation intervals. The processing begins with basic attention notices (eyes open briefly) and is confirmed with a tick or marked as not available with a cross. After 10 crosses have been made in a row, the examination is terminated. The WHIM value is the highest number of values observed.

Apart from the developers' "preliminary report", there has been no further evaluation of the commercially available system.

Individual evidence

^ A. Shiel, SA Horn, BA Wilson, MJ Watson, MJ Campbell, DL McLellan: The Wessex Head Injury Matrix (WHIM) main scale: a preliminary report on a scale to assess and monitor patient recovery after severe head injury. In: Clin Rehabil. (14), 2000, pp. 408-416. PMID 10945425

Web links

Publisher homepage ( Memento from April 8, 2009 in the web archive archive.today )

[1] A. Shiel, SA Horn, BA Wilson, MJ Watson, MJ Campbell, DL McLellan: The Wessex Head Injury Matrix (WHIM) main scale: a preliminary report on a scale to assess and monitor patient recovery after severe head injury. In: Clin Rehabil. (14), 2000, pp. 408-416. PMID 10945425