Research Suggests About 25 Percent of Coma Patients Are Conscious
MRI scans showed about a quarter of unresponsive patients with severe brain injuries responded to specific instructions.
When people are in a coma, their friends and family are encouraged to talk to them, and a common question the loved ones have is: “Can they hear me?” The answer has remained a mystery as researchers relied on reports from people who managed to awaken from their comas and learn more about a person’s experience from one. The issue is that people report varying experiences, and many don’t remember anything.
However, these days, technology exists for scientists to find out what happens in the brain while a person is in a coma — and whether they can hear us. More specifically, researchers want to know whether people in a coma can be conscious, even when they don’t appear to be. Remarkably, so far, the evidence says yes. This incredible experience has many names, including “locked-in syndrome,” “covert consciousness,” and “cognitive motor dissociation.” Now, a new study suggests it’s far more common than we realized.
Levels of Consciousness
People who are in a coma may appear the same at first glance, unresponsive as if asleep, but there are levels or…
