Does oral care contribute to brain activation?: One case of functional near-infrared spectroscopy study in patients with a persistent disturbance of consciousness.

KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE: We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure cerebral blood flow during oral care in a patient with persistent disturbance of consciousness. We experienced that cerebral blood flow to frontal area increased during oral care, suggesting that oral care may have a potential role in rehabilitation for the brain.