Very Cool Science - Man Woken from Coma After 6 Years

[sandgk]

Sometimes the news really does merit having the word good near itself.

Man Woken from Coma After 6 Years By Brain "Pacemaker" Implant

SYDNEY: A brain-damaged man, trapped in a coma-like state for six years, has been brought back to consciousness by doctors who planted electrodes deep inside his brain.
The method, called deep-brain electrical stimulation (DBS) has successfully roused communication, complex movement and eating ability in the 38 year-old American man who suffered a traumatic brain injury and for six years showed few signs of recovery.
His injuries left him in a 'minimally conscious state' (MCS) ? a condition akin to a coma but characterized by occasional, but brief, evidence of environmental and self-awareness that coma patients lack. It's thought to currently afflict up to an estimated 300, 000 patients in the USA.
Remarkable technique
The remarkable new technique is reported in today's edition of the British Journal Nature and suggests that some MCS sufferers simply lack treatments that might help the brain restore consciousness.

I think the 300,000 cited above is a little high as I recall hearing a lower figure of 100,000 affected patients that may benefit should this treatment gain currency.

Actual image of the stimulating electrodes

The authors of the paper describing the procedure are cautious and probably correct in stating that this is not something that will help those in a persistent vegetative state. But still, isn't this just tremendously good news!

More coverage from the UK Telegraph.

Now the kicker, this being Buckeye Planet and all that ..

Guess which hospital was integral to efforts in developing the technique? Cleveland Clinic.

After emergency surgery, a doctor told her: ?If your son pulls out of this, he will be a vegetable for the rest of his life.?
Eventually, she gave a ?do not resuscitate order? to doctors because the prospect of change seemed hopeless.
Then in 2005, he had the chance to take part in the pioneering brain stimulation trial, the culmination of a decade?s work by a team at the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute-Centre for Head Injuries, New Jersey; the Cleveland Clinic; and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, led by Dr Nicholas Schiff.
Today, he enjoys a quality of life his mother never thought possible.

Now all they need do is make smaller, faster, cheaper and widespread.

 

[Big Papa]

I agree that this is very cool technology, although as you said, it will not help those in a persistent vegetative state, which was my initial reaction. But this is great news for those in a minimally conscious state. I am not in the least surprised that this is something that the Cleveland Clinic is involved in. That is a tremendous medical facility. One of the best in the world. I just hope this is something that can be used long term without any kind of significant chance of it not working at some point to where they slip back into their minimally conscious state. That could be even more devastating to the family.

I have to admit thought this kind of brings the whole issue of stem cells up again; to me.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

The authors of the paper describing the procedure are cautious and probably correct in stating that this is not something that will help those in a persistent vegetative state.

So, tibor is just shit out of luck then...

 

[sandgk]

So, tibor is just shit out of luck then...

Got cold in here ... :)