Good news!

Gao Hongliang, head of our hospital’s Rehabilitation Therapy Center, achieved an impressive third-place finish in the “Awakening” – Effective Case Competition on Disorders of Consciousness (2024 Season – Bengbu Station)!

The competition was held on the morning of May 26, 2024, in Bengbu, Anhui—the “Pearl City.” This event aims to establish an efficient platform for learning and exchange among young physicians in the field of chronic disorders of consciousness, comprehensively enhancing the overall capabilities and professional qualities of emerging leaders in this area, and striving to build a robust contingent of young physicians who are well‑qualified, appropriately structured, and capable of shouldering significant responsibilities.

This competition has invited numerous distinguished experts and scholars to serve as judges, including He Jianghong, Director of the Surgery for Disorders of Consciousness at the Neurosurgical Center of Beijing Tiantan Hospital; Pan Suyue, Director of the Department of Neurology at Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; Zhang Hao, Deputy Director of the China Rehabilitation Research Center; Luo Benyan, Director of the Department of Neurology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine; Lu Xiao, Administrative Director of the Rehabilitation Medicine Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; and Zhang Wenbin, Director of the Brain Hospital affiliated with Nanjing Medical University.

Seven contestants from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Nanjing Zijin Hospital, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (Tangdu Hospital) took part in the competition. As contestant No. 6, Gao Hongliang presented a case report titled “Acupuncture‑Magnetic Neural Modulation Combined with Rope‑Band Therapy for Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.”

Gao Hongliang presented a case involving a comatose patient with severe craniocerebral injury, offering a report that covered three key aspects: a review of the clinical course, the treatment process, and personal insights. The report primarily detailed the patient’s rehabilitation trajectory—from a comatose state to regaining consciousness and achieving independent ambulation—along with the implementation of comprehensive posture‑control therapy. It also highlighted distinctive therapeutic approaches such as the “Awakening‑the‑Brain and Opening‑the‑Orifices Acupuncture Protocol” for promoting arousal, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), strap‑based therapy, and other integrated rehabilitation strategies.

Gao Hongliang’s presentation was clear and well-organized, with a strong focus on key points. He meticulously outlined the patient’s treatment course before the expert panel, and his sophisticated technical expertise and personalized therapeutic approach earned high praise and unanimous acclaim from the competition judges.

Lu Xiao, Administrative Director of the Rehabilitation Medicine Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University:

Acupuncture, a key component of traditional Chinese medicine, is simple and easy to administer and can be initiated even in the very earliest stages of rehabilitation—this represents a significant advantage over Western medicine. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is another commonly used rehabilitative therapy; however, further refinement of treatment protocols and stronger evidence from electrophysiological assessments would enhance its clinical application. Taping therapy is also gaining wider adoption nationwide; by employing various taping techniques to correct abnormal gait patterns, it has demonstrated promising results in clinical practice.

He Jianghong, Director of the Surgical Department for Disorders of Consciousness at the Neurosurgical Center of Beijing Tiantan Hospital:

Since we first launched this competition, this is the first time we have featured a case presentation that integrates both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine. While we continue to explore and refine Western medical diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, we must also remember and further promote the invaluable techniques of our traditional medicine. The entire presentation seamlessly blended the PowerPoint slides with the live delivery, delivering a performance that was both emotionally resonant and naturally fluid, with strong on‑stage appeal.

Seven contestants took to the stage one after another, each brimming with energy and displaying a poised, confident presence. The representative cases and distinctive techniques they presented were all highly compelling, earning unanimous praise and insightful commentary from the expert panel. After nearly three hours of intense competition—featuring pre‑event online voting, on‑site scoring by the judges, and live online audience voting—the hospital’s contestant, Gao Hongliang, ultimately secured an outstanding third place.

In terms of treatment techniques, there is no single “best” method—only the one that is most appropriate. The key to effective recovery lies in achieving optimal outcomes; throughout the patient’s entire course of care, what physicians can do is, in response to the family’s expectations, maximize those outcomes.

This participation in the competition is not only an opportunity to share a representative clinical case and cutting-edge rehabilitation techniques, but also a microcosm of the hundreds of cases of disorders of consciousness treated at Nanjing Zijin Hospital. It further underscores the hospital’s proactive efforts to benchmark against leading disciplines in the field and to advance high-quality development as a routine practice. Moving forward, the hospital will continue to dispatch its young, accomplished physicians to engage in diverse academic exchanges, further deepening its expertise in the realm of critical care rehabilitation.