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Saturday, November 12, 2011

New hope for head injury patients - BBC News

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.