Scientists find a new way to tell if a vegetative patient is aware

[Ultimate Paragon]

http://sciencealert.com.au/news/20141710-26359.html

Researchers from University of Cambridge in the UK have identified hidden networks in vegetative patients that could support consciousness, even when a patient appears to be unresponsive.

There’s been a lot of interest lately into how much patients in vegetative states, such as comas, are aware of their surroundings. Recently, research involving functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning has shown that even patients who are unable to respond or move are able to carry out mental tasks, such as imagining playing a game of tennis.

Now the team of scientists have used high-density electroencephalographs (EEG) and mathematics known as “graph theory” to study the networks of activity in the brains of 32 patients who have been diagnosed as being in a vegetative state.

They also compared these EEG scans to the scans of health adults. Their fundings reveal that the interconnected networks that support awareness in the healthy brain are usually - but, importantly, not always - impaired in patients in a vegetative state.

Amazingly, the research showed that some of these “vegetative patients” have well-preseved consciousness networks that look similar to those of healthy adults - and these are the same patients who had been able to imagine playing tennis in the previous study.

"Understanding how consciousness arises from the interactions between networks of brain regions is an elusive but fascinating scientific question,” said Srivas Chennu from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge in a press release.

“But for patients diagnosed as vegetative and minimally conscious, and their families, this is far more than just an academic question – it takes on a very real significance. Our research could improve clinical assessment and help identify patients who might be covertly aware despite being uncommunicative," he added.

This is a huge breakthrough, as it will help scientists develop a relatively simple way of identifying “vegetative” patients who might still be aware.

Wonderful news!

[Barbarella]

http://sciencealert.com.au/news/20141710-26359.html

Researchers from University of Cambridge in the UK have identified hidden networks in vegetative patients that could support consciousness, even when a patient appears to be unresponsive.

There’s been a lot of interest lately into how much patients in vegetative states, such as comas, are aware of their surroundings. Recently, research involving functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning has shown that even patients who are unable to respond or move are able to carry out mental tasks, such as imagining playing a game of tennis.

Now the team of scientists have used high-density electroencephalographs (EEG) and mathematics known as “graph theory” to study the networks of activity in the brains of 32 patients who have been diagnosed as being in a vegetative state.

They also compared these EEG scans to the scans of health adults. Their fundings reveal that the interconnected networks that support awareness in the healthy brain are usually - but, importantly, not always - impaired in patients in a vegetative state.

Amazingly, the research showed that some of these “vegetative patients” have well-preseved consciousness networks that look similar to those of healthy adults - and these are the same patients who had been able to imagine playing tennis in the previous study.

"Understanding how consciousness arises from the interactions between networks of brain regions is an elusive but fascinating scientific question,” said Srivas Chennu from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge in a press release.

“But for patients diagnosed as vegetative and minimally conscious, and their families, this is far more than just an academic question – it takes on a very real significance. Our research could improve clinical assessment and help identify patients who might be covertly aware despite being uncommunicative," he added.

This is a huge breakthrough, as it will help scientists develop a relatively simple way of identifying “vegetative” patients who might still be aware.

Wonderful news!

That's pretty cool. It could solve messes like what happened with Terry Schaivo.

[Old Viking]

To be aware but otherwise totally vegetative would be tons of fun.   That tennis-playing spark of consciousness would make it well worthwhile to remain that way for years and years.

[Ironchew]

That's pretty cool. It could solve messes like what happened with Terry Schaivo.

Were the participants in that case rational, sure. The controversy erupted because the people with legal authority were not rational, and I don't expect advances in science to trump the religious fear of death and all the legal distinctions that entails.