Surgery to embed a nerve-stimulating implant in a patient in a persistent vegetative state (15 years), resulted in the patient reverting to a "minimally conscious" state.
After lying in a vegetative state for 15 years, a 35-year-old male patient in France appears to have regained minimal consciousness following months of vagus nerve stimulation, researchers report today in Current Biology.
The patient, who suffered severe brain damage in a car crash, had shown no signs of awareness or improvement before. He made no apparent purposeful movements and didn't respond to doctors or family at his bedside. But after researchers surgically implanted a device that stimulates the vagus nerve, quiet areas of his brain began to perk up—as did he.
His eyes turned toward people talking and could follow a moving mirror. He turned his head to follow a speaker moving around his bed. He slowly shook his head when asked. When researchers suddenly drew very close to his face, his eyes widened as if he was surprised or scared. When caregivers played his favorite music, he smiled and shed a tear.
Note that "respond" is on the level of "turning his head when asked, though that took a minute."
A few thoughts on this:
(Score: 2) by number11 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @04:00PM (1 child)
It's clear that it is very important for everybody to complete an "Advance Health Care Directive" (aka "Living Will") so that you can make your choices while your brain is still in working order. Even if you don't expect to be needing it any time soon (sometimes car crashes happen without your prior agreement). Use forms appropriate for your state, different states may have different requirements; I have no idea what options are available for those outside the USA but it can't hurt to make your wishes known in advance, in writing. Otherwise the choices may be made by random relatives, doctors, government officials, or passersby, without your input.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 27 2017, @05:07AM
What if your state may not agree with your wishes? If I were in a hopeless condition, I would want to be euthanized. If my state does not permit that because it considers it a sin, insanity or against policy, can I permit my family to move me to a location where I can be euthanized?