People in vegetative state still respond to simple commands

People who’ve suffered severe brain injury still know what’s going on.  Even though they may be in a coma or even a vegetative state, they can understand and follow simple commands.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham monitored 241 people with severe brain injury who were unconscious, and detected movement in the brain when they were given simple commands such as “imagine opening and closing your hand.”

Using functional MRI (fMRI) and EEG (electroencephalography) brain scans, the researchers discovered that 60 of the participants—around 25 percent—consistently responded to the instructions.

The patients were either in a coma, or a vegetative state, or had minimal consciousness, the researchers said.  The discovery could open up new ways of treating patients with severe brain injury and could include speaking to them or playing music.  “I think we have an ethical obligation to engage with these patients, to try to help them connect to the world,” said Nicholas Schiff, one of the researchers.

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