Posted On: February 9, 2010
Patients with Traumatic Brain Injuries Show Brain Activity, Rekindling Debate Over Life-sustaining Care
CHICAGO -- A new study of 54 unresponsive patients who suffered a traumatic brain injury shows that at least five of them had brain activity indicating awareness, intent and in one case, a wish to communicate, reports Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, about a story in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The study gives doctors and families the prospect that a biological test could determine whether a patient is aware of his or her surroundings. That test, in turn, could enable families to better care for the patient. But some neurologists say that such a diagnostic technique may not really indicate whether a vegetative patient is expressing sentiment or a competency level.
