On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 26, 2025, an online training session for the national multi-center study on the reliability and validity of the Chinese Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS) was successfully held at the Jiangning Campus of Nanjing Zijin Hospital. The training aimed to help the principal investigators and key research personnel at each participating center gain a thorough understanding of the study protocol and master the administration of the scale as well as the operation of the data‑upload software system. The meeting was chaired by Wang Yifang, Vice President of Nanjing Zijin Hospital.

Wang Yifang, Vice President of Nanjing Zijin Hospital

Ge Jiangping, head of the research team and president of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, delivered a speech at the meeting. She began by expressing her heartfelt gratitude to all the participating sub-centers and their staff. She noted that the national multi-center study on the reliability and validity of the Chinese-Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS) now includes 14 sub-centers, representing renowned hospitals from across the country, each of which boasts a high level of clinical expertise and extensive experience in the field of promoting consciousness recovery in patients with disorders of consciousness. The participation of these institutions in the CNCRS study is of great significance for advancing progress in the area of consciousness restoration. Subsequently, President Ge Jiangping also outlined the specific process involved in revising the scale.

Ge Jiangping, President of Nanjing Zijin Hospital

Since 2024, as the leading institution of the research team, Nanjing Zijin Hospital has distributed and collected consensus questionnaires from 22 experts across China. Following the attainment of consensus, the Chinese Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS) was revised based on the experts’ recommendations. Currently, the hospital’s R&D team has developed a mobile application for scale assessment and initiated pilot testing. In March, the hospital will dispatch iPads equipped with the app and instructional videos on scale administration, along with toolkits and scoring record forms, to each participating center. She expressed her hope that all centers will adhere strictly to the study protocol and extended her best wishes for the successful completion of the nationwide multi-center study evaluating the reliability and validity of the CNCRS.

Gao Zhiqiang, Executive Vice President of Nanjing Zijin Hospital

Subsequently, Gao Zhiqiang, Executive Vice President of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, provided a detailed explanation of the scale and the revised draft of the study protocol. He outlined the scale’s development background, the revision process, and its key components, with particular emphasis on the differences between the updated research protocol and its previous version. Vice President Gao’s presentation was both thorough and accessible, enabling attendees to gain a clearer understanding of both the scale and the study design.

Engineer Sun Zhiyuan

During the software operating system demonstration, Engineer Sun Zhiyuan provided a detailed overview of the data‑upload software’s features and operational procedures. He walked through practical examples, illustrating how to upload data correctly, query it, and process it, while also highlighting key considerations for its use. He added that, going forward, robust technical support will be in place to underpin the CNCRS nationwide multi‑center study on reliability and validity.

Dr. Luo Jing (left), Dr. Yang Yang (right)

In addition, this training session included a dedicated hands-on workshop on scale scoring (Round 2). Drs. Luo Jing and Yang Yang from Nanjing Zijin Hospital conducted live demonstrations, meticulously guiding participants through multiple subscales of the scale in accordance with the operational manual. This session was specifically designed for those who did not attend the earlier Nanjing training and for newly recruited center staff, with the aim of enhancing their proficiency in scale‑based assessment.

It is reported that in March 2025, the study will officially commence patient enrollment and data upload at all participating centers.

The successful launch of this training session marks a new phase in the nationwide multi-center study on the reliability and validity of the China–Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS). The research team will continue to uphold a rigorous, science-based approach, strengthen communication and collaboration, and work together to ensure the smooth implementation of the project, thereby contributing further to research in the field of consciousness recovery.