For a patient who sustains devastating brain damage, the outcome is often exceedingly grim: if they dont show signs of improvement within a few weeks, theyll be diagnosed as vegetative — unaware of themselves or their environment, and unlikely to ever be again. Thats the startling possibility raised by a series of recent studies, which used neuroimaging techniques to evaluate awareness levels among patients diagnosed as being in persistent vegetative states (VS) or in minimally conscious states (wherein patients exhibit fleeting, inconsistent awareness). A small number of patients, these studies found, exhibited brain activity that indicates they were able to focus on a given word, answer a question, or complete a task. We dont yet have a full picture of the abilities of these patients, says Srivas Chennu, PhD, an expert in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Cambridge.
Gray area: unravelling the inner worlds of vegetative state patients
07
Nov
2013
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