1 in 5 vegetative patients is conscious. This neuroscientist finds them. | Big Think x Freethink

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What if vegetative patients are conscious? Neuroscientist Adrian Owen, author of Into The Gray Zone and a professor at Western University in Canada, is using fMRI technology to try to reach the people who may still be aware of their surroundings.
Consciousness has traditionally been assessed by asking patients to respond to verbal commands. Through brain imaging, Dr Owen and his team were able to prove that these tests are inadequate, and it's estimated that 20 percent of vegetative patients are conscious but are physically incapable of communicating it.
"Communication is the thing that really makes us human," says Dr. Owen. "If we can give these patients back the ability to make decisions, I think we can give them back a little piece of their humanity."
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DR ADRIAN OWEN:
Dr Adrian Owen is a Professor at The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, Canada and the former Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging. His research combines neuroimaging (MRI and EEG), with cognitive studies in brain-injured patients and healthy participants. He has spent the last twenty years pioneering breakthroughs in cognitive neuroscience. Find out more at OwenLab.uwo.ca.
Check his latest book Into the Gray Zone: A Neuroscientist Explores the Mysteries of the Brain and the Border Between Life and Death at amzn.to/3le2QPX
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TRANSCRIPT:
DR. ADRIAN OWEN: Imagine this scenario. You've unfortunately had a terrible accident. You're lying in a hospital bed and you're aware-you're aware but you're unable to respond, but the doctors and your relatives don't know that. You have to lie there, listening to them deciding whether to let you live or die. I can think of nothing more terrifying.
I'm Dr. Adrian Owen. I'm the author of ‘Into the Gray Zone’, a neuroscientist explores the border between life and death.
Communication is at the very heart of what makes us human. It's the basis of everything. What we're doing is we're returning the ability to communicate to some patients who seem to have lost that forever. The vegetative state is often referred to as a state of wakefulness without awareness. Patients open their eyes, they'll just gaze around the room. They'll have sleeping and waking cycles, but they never show any evidence of having any awareness.
So, typically, the way that we assess consciousness is through command following. We ask somebody to do something, say, squeeze our hand, and if they do it, you know that they’re conscious. The problem in the vegetative state is that these patients by definition can produce no movements. And the question I asked is, well, could somebody command follow with their brain? It was that idea that pushed us into a new realm of understanding this patient population. When a part of your brain is involved in generating a thought or performing an action, it burns energy in the form of glucose, and it's replenished through blood flow. As blood flows to that part of the brain, we're able to see that with the fMRI scanner.
I think one of the key insights was the realization that we could simply get somebody to lie in the scanner and imagine something and, based on the pattern of brain activity, we will be able to work out what it is they were thinking. We had to find something that produces really a quite distinct pattern of activity that was more or less the same for everybody. So, we came up with two tasks. One task, imagine playing tennis, produces activity in the premotor cortex in almost every healthy person we tried this in. A different task, thinking about moving from room to room in your house, produces an entirely different pattern of brain activity; particularly, it involves a part of the brain known as the parahippocampal gyrus. And again, it's very consistent across different people.
So, we realized that we could use this as a simple mechanism for asking yes or no questions. We could say, well, I'm going to ask you a question. If the answer is yes, imagine playing tennis. If the answer is no, imagine thinking about moving through the rooms of your home. I can still remember exactly what it felt like the first time we saw a patient that we thought was in a vegetative state activate their brain...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/v...

[@bigthink]

What other scientific breakthroughs have given you hope lately?

[@rosentrantz0]

This is a window to horror, not a scientific breakthrough. So "What other scientific breakthroughs have given you hope lately?" is not a relevant question. These people have lost motor control, living in a state of sensory and social deprivation, and there's just too much to say about it.

[@Elliandr]

I hope that, once you establish that a patient is conscious, that you can offer them an ability to interact with the world either through a non invasive neural interface device or through invasion implants that could allow the mind to reach technology. Maybe, as a start at least, with the ability to get a yes or no question, you could establish a system where locked-in patients can send messages via Morse code. It might take them awhile to get a single sentence across, but maybe that effort could help bring them out of it, or if not at least let them share their thoughts. Later on, if you can find some way to let the brain speak through a computer you could literally give the person a voice when they have no motor control over their voice. Or maybe an optic nerve implant combined, perhaps installed through bendable needle, could allow the person to live in a simulation where they can have an ability to see, move, and speak. To have some level of freedom rather thsn be trapped in their body. In short, I would like to see technology progress to a level where we can actually help these people, not just identify them as conscious.

[@lifewithemilysyndromelivin9956]

@@rosentrantz0 I hope this leads to being able to help these people more

[@kyleferguson5175]

people would use conscious correctly, 1 in 5 people in vegetative state are awake unless you check brain wave patterns no way to know how many are conscious in dream state i.e I dream therefore I am, I am the consciousness experiencing the dream state whether my brain responds to stimuli or not!

[@rukminidinesh]

Since 45 day’s cardiac arrest happened twice patient is in coma No response at all if we shift him to house how can we manage with doctors and ward boy any suggestion please 🙏

[@patrickhurley7029]

God bless this man. God bless the scientists that use their hearts and minds to help humanity.

[@sagittariusa2008]

Maybe god should bless the science deniers so they could rid themselves of their god delusions...

[@MarkoMood]

Why not just bless the patients so the scientist is not needed?

[@sagittariusa2008]

@@MarkoMood Jer ne ide..

[@juanpina5983]

God bless the trolls you're feeding

[@arzoo_singh]

First ,respect to good mind and great mind . Now see the dangerous side what of the brain can be manipulated,emotions thoughts ,imagination and memory will all be controlled . Welcome to simulation . This brain technology could be wonderful but once defense steps in ..you follow their rule of their version of world . What you know ,just know I have been researching and knew for last 3-5 years . AI could be amazing and it could b dangerous ,this technology related to brain is part of AI world . There are things which can simply blow you're minds . As in communicatin with cells ,DNA etc

[@ya.ghostie]

My grandmother is in a vegetative state. We talk to her and sometimes her eyes tear up. The doctor told us that she hasn’t responded to any of the tests, and to make a decision regarding her life, but its only been 3 days. We don’t want to keep her if she’s suffering, but if there’s a chance she can recover, we are praying for it.

[@hellokittydimaggio]

3 days is nothing! Might take months it’s like a deep sleep you gotta find ur way back to wake up

[@JonathanWorkman-rw4nl]

My grandma had a stroke 48 hours ago. It was around 11:30pm on Thursday the 31st She went into the hospital unresponsive but after a couple hours she was taking and coherent. My brother walked my mom out of the hospital and came back in and not even half hour later the doctor was saying she would not make it. She is currently on a comatose state. Then 8 hours after it all happened the doctor is basically telling us to give up on someone that never gave on one any of us due to her age 89. First day I asked her over 50 times to squeeze my hand and got nothing. Today I asked her 5 different times and she literally squeezed every time I asked. I even asked her to squeeze if she could hear me and let her know is that I love her. She did. Most of the time I ask I don’t but I don’t expect in 48 hours. This doctor barely speaks English and I found out today she😢 is actually the back up to a doctor that is on vacation. I know the odds aren’t in our favor but they don’t know my grandma

[@guysevedz3581]

@@JonathanWorkman-rw4nl I hope things worked out for both you and ya.ghostie's families.

[@DeepakJAT0007]

​@@JonathanWorkman-rw4nlnow ?

[@ہمایوں-د3غ]

How is she now?

[@QueenetBowie]

I’ve had sleep paralysis, and that alone gives me anxiety, I can’t imagine going through that for day, months or even years...

[@Picasso_Picante92]

Did he just say 20% are still aware of their surroundings? HOLY SH*T! This is horrible!

[@kishorraika6411]

i would choose death over it

[@1DangerMouse1]

Absolutely horrible. "Miracle of modern medicine"... We keep people alive when they would not have had to go through that before in history. It's absurd and wrong.

[@GovnaBuckingham]

@justsomeguy what are you talking about did you read that wrong

[@1DangerMouse1]

@justsomeguy they probably would have been unconscious at that point. Even if not, I would rather go out starving than be kept alive for years totally unable to move or interact.

[@1DangerMouse1]

@@GovnaBuckingham I don't think he knows.

[@heavenandearthhealing7090]

This happened to me when I was 13 years old. In 1995 I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. I underwent massive chemotherapy treatments one of which was intrathecal methotrexate. The methotrexate eventually started to attack my brain and threw me into a vegetative state. I was aware but trapped in my body. I would just sit there crying and crying because of how scary it was to not be able to communicate.I started to slip deeper and deeper into a coma and my doctors have lost all hope at that point. I went to a dark peaceful void that was filled with love and warmth. When I woke I saw my entire family standing around my bed saying goodbye to me. At this point the doctor said I was either going to die or never wake up. I even had my last rites. Upon waking up I could feel how scared everybody was. I kept saying to everybody (in my head bc I couldn’t speak) “it’s OK guys I’m gonna be OK”…Sure enough I pulled out of it and made a full recovery which stunned doctors. I am now a pediatric reiki nurse and a mother of a beautiful 4 1/2 year old. I always looked at how lucky I was to survive some thing that nobody thought I would. God had other plans for me. Life truly is beautiful to me because I truly did get a major second chance…Live each day like it’s your last because it could be.♥️

[@CynicallyDepressedx]

Wow, this story is equal parts incredible and terrifying. Thank you for sharing this, if only this technology was available to give you a voice throughout that horrific experience.

[@JeraldBaliteTV]

Praise God

[@kimmanreofficial]

Wow

[@ethicalman2823]

Praise The Lord

[@LethalWeapon73]

Glory to God

[@YiannisANO1911]

During my masters i participated in a study that was working on something similar. It was stunning. The student doing the experiment told me in her previous internship they actually solved some issues a family had by communicating with the father who was in a coma. I cant even imagine what we’ll have in the future

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

If you ever start feeling shitty about your life, just be grateful that you're not experiencing this kind of hell.

[@watchgoose]

Just FYI< it's not "hell". hell is complete separation from God - and when we are still here on earth, He is still here also - He promised us that. We can't even begin to comprehend what existence without God would be like.

[@Gamer2002]

@@watchgoose Shut up it's a metaphor

[@Gamer2002]

@@watchgoose The existence without is what is right now. Because god is not real.

[@isailevilopez5134]

Yes knowing people are suffering makes me feel better about myself…🤣🤣🤣🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@FBIagentObama]

I always think of it like it’s a spectrum. On one side is how good someone can have it, there is a limit on it though. Once you have everything in life, you’re fully healthy and your soul is happy, you can’t have it any better. *However the other end is limitless. There is no maximum amount of misery one can be in, it can always be worse.* When I have it bad some days and I think I’m in a really bad place I always think of this. It puts it into perspective. I quickly realize that I am actually way closer to the good side of the spectrum than anywhere near the limitless abyss of misery and hell.

[@RandomAussieGuy87]

Having Locked-in Syndrome is my worst nightmare (other than being cremated alive).

[@HenriZwols]

Cremated alive? How about buried alive?

[@RandomAussieGuy87]

@@HenriZwols I'd prefer that than cremated alive. Less painful.

[@Craznar]

@@HenriZwols Buried alive == locked in syndrome, but without the years of waiting.

[@alephmorricone7207]

@@HenriZwols how about being scorched alive.? yeah i mean brazen bull. Life is terrifying sometimes

[@User-jr7vf]

How about being locked inside a coffin that is being burned?

[@marinabarrett3681]

I was overcome with emotion on this. Thank you for helping these people. Recognising they are awake.

[@gearhead1302]

I almost can't believe that 20% of these people were locked in, rather than vegetive. It's great news that we can now know, but so sad for all those that were conscious all these years. Maybe loved one's really could sense they were still there? People would say that a lot.

[@Mark_Jacobson81]

This is amazing. I know it early days but the future is bright. Having said that you have to feel for all the people in the past who were aware but their fate was sealed.

[@GovnaBuckingham]

I've gotten sleep paralysis a few times. Wake up and unable to move. Lasted only like 10-20 seconds max each time it happened. That shit is unreal. I can't even imagine being like that for an hour let alone years JESUS!

[@truthshallsetufree1295]

Thats what I think and I get sleep paralysis it’s hell and my uncle is like this for 2 years and he went 25 min with oxygen and I said if he feels how u feel when ur in a sleep paralysis then man that’s hell I don’t know if he should be pulled for the plug or not it really sucks

[@creneemugo94]

When you get it wiggle your toes or imagine spitting in your hands and wetting your eyes with it... I wake up fast.

[@GovnaBuckingham]

@@truthshallsetufree1295 is he still paralyzed?

[@bredixon7685]

My brother went in for a gastric sleeve surgery and has been in the hospital for almost 4 months due to their mistake. He got moved to a facility that could help him and he had respiratory distress and his heart stopped twice. No one can tell us how long he went without oxygen. The drs just told us he is 90% in a vegetative state. They did 1 ct, 1 eeg and assessments like see if he feels pain. They want us to make the decision after a few days to end his life? Seeing and hearing stories like this gives us hope.

[@Anotherhumanexisting]

This is why I have a DNR and Advanced Directive. No matter what I don’t want CPR, ventilator, transfusions, ECMO, etc. Reading some of these comments affirms I am very glad to have those orders in place…

[@MRandomCommenterGuy]

This is both amazing and absolutely horiffic. 20%?! That's thousands of people that are basically entombed within their own body, just waiting for death. It genuinely makes me sick to think about it

[@nadagabri5783]

Or have a chance of recovering

[@deborahm6036]

I was in a vegetative coma when I was 19. My parents were told I would never come out of it. They were told to take me off machines, which I wanted. But they wouldn’t agree. I was looking down on everything happening to me, and listening very clearly to everything being said, from the ceiling. I just wanted to be let go to the peace just beyond my reach, and leave the pain of my body behind. I remember hearing people adjusting equipment. One said what a waste of time and money I was. “She’s just a pin cushion. Nobody home.”

[@Blueskyz316]

Oh my goodness . I’m sorry someone actually said that about you ! I hope you have had a wonderful life and i pray for many many more years of health and happiness for you ❤️❤️❤️

[@deborahm6036]

@@Blueskyz316 Thank you! That is so very kind of you! All is well with me now, but I was impacted greatly by my experience.

[@Blueskyz316]

@@deborahm6036 ❤️❤️❤️❤️.

[@upcomingstripper]

How long were you in vegetative coma?…..My mom has been for almost a month now.

[@deborahm6036]

@@upcomingstripper Only 72 hours. But it was vegetative.

[@not_today_satan_7]

Wow that's really amazing my brother was in a pvs for 7 1/2 years. When I would walk into his hospital room and say hi brian he would open his eyes. He never looked at me could not track. Was in a diaper and feeding tube. He never spoke a word but I think he knew I was there. I miss him

[@ہمایوں-د3غ]

Is he recovered now?

[@not_today_satan_7]

@user-wi8ts5qq2v no he died after 7 1/2 years. He never recovered. He spent those 7 1/2 years in a bed wearing a diaper with a feeding tube. He never spoke another word or even knew we were there. His body rotted and he died.

[@ہمایوں-د3غ]

@@not_today_satan_7 😭iam sorry for your loss

[@danielsteel5251]

This is both heartwarming and terrifying.

[@khristinaa.3401]

Absolutely terrifying. I was talking to a person at work who said he was in a coma for 12 days. He told me he remembered hearing things happening around him and hallucinating nightmares. This brought me to tears. We are so fortunate to live in a time were science can address this.

[@TomasPetkevicius94]

Neuralink FTW!

[@indrajeet5000]

Good point bro..

[@tristanyoungquist7121]

brought me to the verge of tears

[@ShaySails]

Beautiful. This gives me hope my father could hear me when I spoke from my heart at his deathbed.

[@deedee3355]

my dad passed away in 2014, before he passed away he was in a coma or vegetative states for 20~21 days, if his state allowed him to heard us back then, its kinda makes me happy and relieved , because he would knew how we (my family) loves him so much and will always loves him in our lifetime.

[@raresmircea]

I remember hearing the nightmarish accounts of a person who recovered, saying how gruesome it was to be fed hot soup by ignorant nurses, to be manipulated without any care for the joints, to be absolutely confined, to hear his mother talk out loud begging for him to die so that everyone’s struggle and suffering ends. I’m so sorry!

[@bri9]

Omg this sounds like a nightmare! Do you know who the person was? I'd like to look them up

[@sandyavalos3305]

@xeno and he can say some words and move his arms

[@gruffthunder]

That's both terrifying in the sense of the shear numbers of people throughout the years that must have been absolutely alone and scared. But this is also amazingly hopeful and fantastic in scope, the amount of suffering and human emotional pain that this may prevent in the near future and beyond gave me a real sense that the human race isn't completely lost. Great story

[@mercedesmoriente4025]

On Nov 22 2023 found my dearest husband Nicholas unconscious...had a Syncope that got complicated and was put into Induce Coma. Were married for 50 yrs. There was no reaction, they took him out and same...our daughter & I went to see him everyday. He did open his beautiful light brown eyes but his vision was always very vague. We talked+massage him but nothing...the day before he passed, I was so desperate...found one of his favorite song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"by Santana and play it close to his ear...he did smile...I'm pretty sure...he heard that. Unfortunately, he passed away Dec 19 2023 4.10a. I do think he heard us and after the Santana...more than Ever. What do you think?😢❤

[@canalperegrino9091]

My dad has been like this for 3 years, sometimes I see tears running from his eyes,... he cries

[@laurenrogers4286]

im so sorry:(

[@yanet156]

@canal peregrino I’m sorry to hear that about your dad. I’m currently facing the same with my mother. Is your dad with a trach and feeding tube? We don’t know what to do

[@ra6700]

@@yanet156 sadly I’m now the same situation with my mother. She has a very low conscious level and cannot love. Sometimes opens her eyes and tears-up. Any recovery with your mother?

[@sarahdeaver4981]

My friend was like this and they told us she was most likely never going to live... she cried in her "unconsciousness" when we talked to her about what was going on or certain other things... then she woke up.... Insanity!

[@SSMN2492]

@@yanet156 Hi dear, How's your mum?

[@dpetty71222]

This is amazing! The fact that they care about patients that no one thinks twice about. They wanna treat them like people who are conscience and know what they are thinking to help the patients make decisions for themselves ❤❤❤

[@not_today_satan_7]

There are a lot of people who think about these patients. Their families never give up hope. They are human beings and deserve the best care that all people who can communicate do.

[@5avan10]

"Imagine yourself playing tennis" Me, who has never played nor even watched a game of tennis and has no idea what is involved besides hitting a ball with a racket... welp I guess I'm hosed...

[@ohsweetmystery]

I agree. They couldn't come up with a more universal physical activity? They should use an activity does not require specialized equipment that many people will never have.

[@Elliandr]

Maybe they could have a series of physical activities mapped to determine if they are similar enough and ask the family what physical activities on a list the patient may have preferred the most.

[@Brett_S_420]

Pickleball?

[@thomasr1051]

I think your missing the point

[@ellep.6204]

That's probably all it takes honestly. Just imagining the movement of your body hitting the ball

[@vf12497439]

A few years back a young man who had been in a vegitive state who made a full recovery... he told that his mother at his bedside had told him he should die. That everyone would be better off. Im sure she was thinking out loud and didn't belive he could hear or that he would ever recover. Surprise!!!! Remember that cruel shit you said? I do....

[@Hamoteine]

I am watching this video because my brother in law has been in the hospital for two weeks basically in a coma. The Drs want to take him off life support on Sunday and see if he can breathe on his own for 48hrs. Today is Thursday. They say that he can no longer function.🙄 We know he is aware because when we visit and my hubby talks to him, tears roll down his eyes and it looks like he is trying to communicate somehow. Not sure why this hospital is trying to jump to conclusion when he has not been there very long. Thank you for this video ❤️

[@annagitana1]

I hope you guys are able to talk to him and tell him you know he’s aware, explain what happened and where he is, explain that you will continue to work hard to get him back to where he was but for him to not lose hope. Keep trying.

[@Hamoteine]

@@annagitana1 thank you

[@piyushbhise631]

How's he now

[@Julie-x1s]

Hospitals are usually understaffed. Also, they do not want to deal with overweight patients, it's hard on the nurses and so they say to relatives, that caring for an obese person who is vegetable will be very difficult.

[@shpresalika1543]

​@@Julie-x1sshe didn't said that he is overweight

[@paranoidhumanoid]

All those doctors who urge families to "put down" their loved ones still don't feel anything after seeing this video.

[@alteredbananawithrice6415]

My mother had a cardiac arrest just 2weeks after her she was in recovery from her 3rd stroke. Her neurologist confirmed after 2 EEG tests that she is in pvs and will be fully be dependent on machines just to be able to live, so we came to the decision to stop her life support. After extubating her, she was surprisingly still breathing on her own (even at a better rate than when she was under a vent). It’s been 5 days since and her breath and stats are still miraculously stable despite what the doctor said. These are times I could just cry and wish this kind of study is available here in the Philippines just so I could be at peace and confirm that she really heard me, and that it really was her own tears that fell when after I told her that I love her so much when were about to remove her support back then

[@ranajungthapa5248]

How she is now ?

[@abiramiviswanathan615]

Hey ! Happy to hear! Has she recovered and gained consciousness! Please help with your reply , my mom is in the same condition

[@arthurf604]

So is mine . It’s heartbreaking .

[@abiramiviswanathan615]

@@arthurf604 what happened

[@invox9490]

I believe that if they could create a virtual avatar that could interact with us THAT would be really awesome. Further ahead, a VR simulation where we could also enter and interact with whoever is comatose would also be really cool.

[@kaycee5129]

I’m in awe and so grateful that you have connected with these people and have given them a voice and companionship - thank you 🙏 ❤️👏 😭

[@knosp79]

I'm a Respiratory Therapist and I work in long term care and most of my patients are vegetative. This is very fascinating. Thanks.

[@jrobbins707]

Definitely. You better start working with your pants ON from here on out...

[@Value_Pilgrim]

They need to experiment with BCI (Brain Computer Interface). I am sure something like the Stephen Hawking vocalizer can be linked to a BCI and enable these patients with locked-in syndrome to communicate. It would be a big breakthrough for a lot of them.

[@KhalilEats]

This reminds me of when i’m in sleep paralysis but this is way scarier

[@parraporro3416]

I've had sleep paralysis, it's awful..

[@1DangerMouse1]

If I was thought to be vegetative, but conscious, I would want them to pull the plug. Sounds awful!

[@kekero540]

If I’m ever in a vegetative state I want them to put some audiobooks on

[@truthshallsetufree1295]

Ur brave me id rather them pull my plug I can’t handle sleep paralysis for ever

[@zachariahstovall1744]

wait until they get neuralink

[@andobil]

This happen to me... Acquired brain injury... I could hear them talk about my fate... While in the coma...

[@LethalWeapon73]

Encouraged me that my sister will wake up out her coma. I know God is able if it's his will.

[@LotusBeautyForever]

Amen ❤🙏🏽 God is able to do miracles if only we have faith. I know it is His will but we must give hope and time a chance

[@ہمایوں-د3غ]

How is she now?

[@rujjivittapashcharya1407]

Several weeks earlier I had this thought in my mind that whether this is possible or not and now I am seeing this video and I'm amazed that this already happened.

[@Shmoji]

Is there any way to keep updated on this specific problem and the solutions? I would like to keep up with it, but I don't know how

[@Cupcakeonline]

Imagine all those poor people that was completely aware they were coming off life support and about to die...

[@tonycotto8073]

I'm glad he asked them.

[@bryan5549]

Thank God for this work.

[@suicidalseagull560]

This is so comforting. My grandad had a fall a few days ago and cracked his skull, he's alive but in a vegetative state. It's so good to know that when we talk to him, comfort him and tell him we're here for him, he might be able to hear us...

[@carmella88]

Wow how is ur grandad now

[@heidibower731]

And he's saying " let me go"

[@thequeenofcommentsnettieharris]

I'm in Columbus Ohio I need help please I need help with my son my son fell December the 6th of 2022 and now he's a vegetable but he does stuff but if you talk to his doctor she'll never do stuff but he does stuff

[@ks8090]

what is with people with aphantasia...they seem to be frequent...they cant imagine pictures in their minds

[@movmentztv5189]

Family member is being taken off of lifesupport later today after being declared brain dead yesterday. He was in a accident on sunday and i feel its to soon but also not my place.

[@morganbailey89]

It should be mandatory that everyone in this situation should get a brain scan. Think about how many people were locked into themselves for years not being able to communicate. Total fear

[@sk8razer]

I was watching a video about coma and someone commented to say that she found out that her husband had died in the accident because she was "awake" during her coma following the accident. Of course, a bunch of other people were accusing her of attention seeking. But was she simply making a horrifically tragic grief experience up for attention? Probably not.

[@ANSONPG7]

damn, that situation is terrible, but those patients must've felt amazing finally being given a chance to prove they're aware.

[@dragnar12]

And then left in an even worse stated sins they would be ignored later. Its horrible to be in such a state and be ignored whit no hope. Then to be taken and communicated whit where hope is generated. Just to be put back on bed and ignored again

[@505pwned]

God bless you sir. 💯

[@203066111]

People that went on those ventilators for coronavirus ended up with ICU Delirium! Think about that stuff! You do have the chance of experiencing something similar...

[@EyesOfByes]

Just play me the Insterstellar music score and you'll get every part of my brain fireing

[@andrewsheehy2441]

Would be wonderful to think that a new language like sign language, but using imagined images could be developed so these people could communicate with loved ones and also be able express themselves and continue to develop intellectually. Idea would be they could wear a cap and software would then convert their thoughts into a spoken language.

[@tristanyoungquist7121]

Neuralink

[@haikuoflife]

I've wondered if it's similar to having sleep paralysis where you are awake and aware but can't move. It can take bit to get a finger to twitch to help wake up.

[@smiley2477]

Interesting, good analogy. Makes sense.

[@MrHaighahatta]

Unfortunately, there is currently no practical application for this research: that conscious "vegetative" patient remains trapped in a dysfunctional body with no way to communicate with his/her environment, apart from an MRI scanner. I'm not sure I'd want to know if my loved one were that 1 in 5 and consider him/her a soul locked into a nutshell.

[@tavur]

That’s just absolutely hypocritical...OF COURSE THEY ARE CONCIOUS

[@sidneycarpenter8668]

The father of my 2 children was involved in a pedestrian car accident 1 week ago today. He was pronounced brain dead, even though he gagged which is a reflex and he was breathing against the machine for a little while as well. We were never married so I don’t have rights in the decision. But only 2 days after the accident, his mother made the decision to take him off life support. I know it’s dangerous to keep thinking about the “what if’s” but I can’t help but wonder with a little more time and prayer if he would have gotten better…If he would have been one of those stories you hear about someone miraculously making a recovery despite what they thought. How do you let go of your son that fast? I’m in shock. But this sounds like an amazing book which I definitely plan to read! I am soo intrigued by this theory! I also hope he heard what we said, and I know he still does. I literally feel him in everything I do even if I don’t want to 😢🥹

[@casbot71]

"Don't cremate me…" [repeating] - Doctor Who … Dark Water.

[@CreativeUsernameHere-r1k]

My grandpa was in a near vegetative state. He only let me and the nurses change his clothes, and when i shook his hand for the last time he stiffened it . He could not speak, move on his own etc. He only was able to move his hands, barely chew etc ... this gives me hope.

[@aidamarquez4166]

I just wanted to say thank you for the information. My son was found hanging in his home and after 50 minutes he was still alive. They worked on him but was in a vegetative state. Less than 9 percent was functional and he couldn't see. After 7 months he passed away. Is this possible?

[@LethalWeapon73]

My deepest Condolences 🙏

[@mikewazzupski]

Give them psychadelics!

[@Elliandr]

I'm glad to see someone actually doing this. I have been concerned about this for a very long time with regards to organ harvesting. So much so that I actually asked the organ donation registry if I could put a condition on a donor status that would require a neural skin before I could be harvested and I was shocked to learn that this would not be possible. The only way to maintain my rights would be for a living will to stipulate this and to not be in an organ donor registry because in this case my next of kin would have the right to declare such things whereas if I'm declared to be in a vegetative state I'm supposedly brain dead and therefore have no rights as a dead person . It seems evident to me that if even a single person wakes up on the organ donation table, or wakes up because the family decided not donate organs that someone someone somewhere must have been harvested alive. Ripped apart piece by piece without regard for the experience of the person being harvested. I remember reading reports about an elevated heart rate indicating an emotional stress response being ignored because this was seen as a purely physiological thing. No, if there's a heartbeat it's being controlled by the brain. The heart is deciding to increase the heart rate in response to what is being experienced. That's horrible! Yes, we have a need for organs, but we also need to trust the organs will only be harvested from those who are truly dead. Otherwise it's murder. So I really hope that your process, or something resembling your process becomes part of the standard procedure for determining brain death. Because otherwise there is no way I will ever donate my organs and I would like my organs to be abused to someone in the event that I am truly dead but I don't want to experience being ripped apart into pieces while I am conscious of it. I don't want to experience that kind of nightmare, and I don't think that's a selfish desire.

[@jamesmatheson9624]

how can they live without moving, i thought the brain seeps into the spine after the body doesnt move enough, i know a guy who didnt move his legs for many months and they had to amputate his legs , i thought people have to move to live

[@forevernever9977]

i have a similar story, coma of 10 days, and would love to tell someone about it.

[@ItsMeeeRockPhuckerHeatherMarie]

My best friend is in a coma right now. She was moving around and squeezing my hand and waved ber foot and i got her on video wigging her foot. But the hospital doesn't want to listen. They have treated her not as well as they could have. Forging notes in her chart. Mixing up important information. Its sad how people in a coma are low priority. She will soon be moved to a hospital with less patients. More faculty and REHABILITATION. She has had NONE as of yet aside what myself and her family has done. Shes in there. I wish she could come back. 😢

[@ہمایوں-د3غ]

Is she recovered?

[@petepetrali8981]

I think it's fascinating how they are awakening coma patients with Ambien!

[@sayantanghosh7434]

My father had massive brain stroke Fully blood clot in brain..Now operation successful 4 week ago now he is in vegetative stage..He can recover one day fully?

[@GravitySix-G6]

I pray for your father recovery 🙏🙏🤲. Please please please keep me updated whatever happens…

[@sayantanghosh7434]

​@@GravitySix-G6till now he is in vegitative state and also mal nutrition

[@GravitySix-G6]

@@sayantanghosh7434 what do doctors say? Is he going to recover?

[@Greenninjadjh]

So much amazing and terrifying technology. I hope the ability to scan for thought patterns is only used to empower the disabled.

[@maheshbandaru2896]

Thankyou

[@iwannaseenow1]

Are people in this state able to experience pain? Man, I truly hope not.

[@ellious1408]

This what's going on with DMX right now. ..

[@kenskhronicles6004]

No it’s not. He was brain dead there is a difference.

[@estradiolvalerate8925]

"I have no mouth but i must scream"

[@danielcarrasquillo9613]

Why would anyone down vote this?

[@HenriZwols]

small screen, fat finger?

[@blu3_enjoy]

it's an elaborate book commercial, there's controversial ethics involved and more. in fact I'll dislike it just because of your asinine comment

[@danielcarrasquillo9613]

@@blu3_enjoy I've never experienced someone this petty before. What a joy it's been to have met you. Your a gem, a real treasure in fact. I'll cherish your bullshit forever, thanks 😊

[@blind5211]

I think even this isn't a 100% guarantee (although still a very valuable leap of progress). Why? When it comes to coma and other unconscious states, a lot of people describe that they saw blurry images and sounds. They were aware, but couldn't tell what was going on because of their lowered senses. Also... I don't know about you, but sometimes, when I'm just extremely tired (physically, mentally and/or emotionally), it actually gets a lot harder to recall specific things, to picture specific things, to process things. Someone might ask me to think of something specific, but I might only find strength to space out. It feels like a cognitive fatigue. I think patients that went through something as big as a coma are likely to be even more mentally weak at the moment. Not just that, but they might also simply space out or get distracted - I do that a lot when I'm awake. Sometimes it's really not easy to control your attention, even when there's seemingly no distractions around. So, my point is, there is still a chance someone might be awake, or wake up later, even if this test says "no, they're not awake". Even one of the people below, in the comment section, shared their experience and described slipping into a coma and then back, in the moment when everyone was already saying goodbye to them. Even if all tests are saying "they're not awake", something could still change later. There are countless cases, in all kinds of medical situations, where patients made a recovery while doctors predicted a certain death. Sometimes things just happen like that.

[@uservn6pp214]

Still Depersonalization disorder is way mor terrifying

[@jonathanmacneil4359]

Amazing..

[@DeepNightHour]

What a frightening position to be in..

[@flamekaiser5332]

I came to look about this,Prichard Digget Colon great boxer

[@immeow9971]

Thank God for all these scientists!

[@brettmasonmedia]

You can think of nothing more terrifying? You don’t have much of an imagination. This scenario would be bad for sure, but if you have been trapped in a locked in scenario long enough they are considering pulling the plug then I think there’s a good chance the locked in person may welcome the end to this nightmare.

[@brandonm2144]

I woke my mom up but no one else could figure how to besudes me. Ive wondered ever since how many people are trapped and how to use what i used to wake my mom to help others. Its actually really been bothering me. Everyone was and is surprised. I think her 40+ career as a nurse and my self diagnosis of very specific neurological, neuromuscular and genetic disorders.

[@zachariahstovall1744]

holy shit, the stories those people are going to have

[@The1stHomosapien]

all those people ARE YOU,, every INSECT, is you!! you are everything, you are "god"

[@pneumonoultramicroscopicsi4065]

@@The1stHomosapien lol wtf

[@UHFStation1]

1 in 5 isn't very compelling. Unless you can reverse their damage you still have to consider letting them go.

[@francescastanton9086]

I wish they'd have done this on my mom. Sometimes she'd cry and thats what we thought :( now its too late

[@ewayjeng1]

How could my son receive a test like this?

[@abcinla]

For myself, if I'm in a conscious state but with no means to project that to the people and professionals surrounding me. Consequently, its the same as being in a coma or a vegetative condition. Based on that I would rather they pull all plugs as that condition of life is not worth living.

[@micheledavis2769]

THIS is my absolute biggest fear. Everyone always made fun of me... now I find out it's not as irrational as I thought?! I am NOT ok.

[@stxdude830]

Sounds like sleep paralysis but on a massive scale 😶

[@truthshallsetufree1295]

Yes I hope it not that because that is hell

[@kaylakeiser-dl3jw]

"When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." - Matthew 8:10

[@KristiPelegrin]

bravo!!!!!!!

[@blessent]

Rip dmx

[@BadBoiFilms]

Just did a project on covert consciousness and brain-computer interfaces. Fascinating

[@chyfields]

Imagine the pure terror, fear and rage these vegetative people might be unleashing on to the Matrix.

[@Julie-x1s]

What about a chip in a brain that can work computer? The chip that can make a person in a coma, who can't open the eyes, be able to see and or hear surroundings? A person in a coma then can communicate effectively electronically.

[@jayaramanganapathi9385]

Great step forward for the 1 out every 5. They can be handled differently, and checked if they can be made to respond as well. For the rest 4, effort should be to see if they can be made to think first, move them into the 1 out 5 bracket, and then go for the next phase. Most important, all life and death decisions should not be discussed in front them. Further, if MRI can identify positive or negative responses, then consent can be sought from irreparable 1 out of 5 people on life and death decisions. We get one step closer to let them decide.