Researchers Find ‘Hidden Consciousness’ in 25% of Comatose Patients

Amaze Lab

Severe brain injuries can result in long term unresponsiveness in patients, often referred to as being in a coma or vegetative state. Doctors have long wondered whether or not those patients had any level of consciousness and now they might finally have the answer.

Transcript

00:00Severe brain injuries can result in long-term unresponsiveness in patients, often referred

00:08to as being in a coma or vegetative state.

00:11Doctors have long wondered whether or not these patients had any level of consciousness

00:15and now they might finally have the answer.

00:17The researchers used fMRI and electroencephalography brain scans and asked unresponsive patients

00:22to quote, imagine opening and closing your hand.

00:26They found signs of hidden consciousness in the form of brain activity which is associated

00:30with that same task in conscious individuals.

00:32They found this hidden consciousness in 60 out of the 241 patients they tested or around

00:3825% of them.

00:39The researchers say these findings raise critical, ethical, clinical and scientific questions

00:44explaining that it could help doctors develop new techniques to harness this unseen cognitive

00:49capacity, ultimately establishing a system of communication with unresponsive patients.

00:54They add this could help them discover new techniques of not only improving the lives

00:57of those who are comatose for long periods, but perhaps even new treatments for them.

01:01Jen Klassen, a neurologist from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center said about

01:06the findings, we have an obligation to try to reach out to these patients and build communication

01:10bridges with them.

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