http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brie...-patients/
EXCERPT: . . . a team of researchers at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center say a tool that’s readily available in nearly all hospitals around the world was effective in spotting signs of “hidden consciousness” in comatose patients. These subtle patterns in brain activity are signals that the person is aware but is physically unable to show it.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that an electroencephalogram (EEG), a machine that detects electrical activity in the brain, could find hints of hidden consciousness in one of seven people just days after a serious brain injury. And in patient follow-ups a year later, researchers say people who initially showed signs of hidden consciousness were more likely to recover.
[...] Consciousness, and how the brain creates it, is far from settled. Nevertheless, hidden consciousness is a growing field of interest among researchers. At least one study has found that a segment of patients who were outwardly vegetative had brain activity and connectedness similar to that of healthy, normal adults. But for some reason, they aren’t able to wake up. Tests for these invisible signs of consciousness could help doctors better direct their care in the future.
If one thing is clear, it’s that hidden forms of cognition are strong predictors of recovery. But researchers haven’t settled on the best way to detect this gray area of consciousness in clinical settings. (MORE - details)
EXCERPT: . . . a team of researchers at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center say a tool that’s readily available in nearly all hospitals around the world was effective in spotting signs of “hidden consciousness” in comatose patients. These subtle patterns in brain activity are signals that the person is aware but is physically unable to show it.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that an electroencephalogram (EEG), a machine that detects electrical activity in the brain, could find hints of hidden consciousness in one of seven people just days after a serious brain injury. And in patient follow-ups a year later, researchers say people who initially showed signs of hidden consciousness were more likely to recover.
[...] Consciousness, and how the brain creates it, is far from settled. Nevertheless, hidden consciousness is a growing field of interest among researchers. At least one study has found that a segment of patients who were outwardly vegetative had brain activity and connectedness similar to that of healthy, normal adults. But for some reason, they aren’t able to wake up. Tests for these invisible signs of consciousness could help doctors better direct their care in the future.
If one thing is clear, it’s that hidden forms of cognition are strong predictors of recovery. But researchers haven’t settled on the best way to detect this gray area of consciousness in clinical settings. (MORE - details)