By Fergus WalshMedical, BBC News
EEG Detects Consciousness in Brain Damaged PatientsA small minority of patients diagnosed as being in a vegetative state are actually conscious but unable to physically convey this to others. However, researchers have now discovered a cheap and portable way to assess awareness in these patients using electroencephalography, a method of recording and analyzing brain activity. In a study of 16 patients believed to be in a vegetative state, researchers found that three were repeatedly able to follow instructions when they were asked to imagine performing certain movements.
EEG Detects Consciousness in Brain Damaged PatientsA small minority of patients diagnosed as being in a vegetative state are actually conscious but unable to physically convey this to others. However, researchers have now discovered a cheap and portable way to assess awareness in these patients using electroencephalography, a method of recording and analyzing brain activity. In a study of 16 patients believed to be in a vegetative state, researchers found that three were repeatedly able to follow instructions when they were asked to imagine performing certain movements.