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Man 'In a Coma' for 23 Years Was Actually Conscious the Whole Time

by Amar Toor on November 25, 2009 at 05:07 PM

In a story that is guaranteed to give us nightmares for a good week, the Guardian reports that a Belgian man whom doctors diagnosed as comatose 23 years ago was, in fact, conscious the entire time. Following a nearly fatal car crash in 1983, Rom Houben was believed to be in a "vegetative state," incapable of feeling or hearing anything. Three years ago, though, neurologist Steven Laureys decided to use the latest PET scan technology to take a second look at Houben's brain. Dr. Laureys discovered that he had actually been fully conscious for those 23 years -- a discovery that has just now been made public. Houben could see, hear, and understand everything going on around him, but just couldn't communicate. As he chillingly told the Guardian, via a special touchscreen keyboard on his wheelchair, "I screamed, but there was nothing to hear."

Most troubling, though, is the speculation that Houben's story is not an isolated case. According to a study conducted by Dr. Laureys, up to 40-percent of patients considered to be "vegetative," may in fact be able to communicate and, with the right treatment, even make progress toward recovery. Others are also wondering if this finding could put a new wrinkle into the debate over whether or not to "pull the plug" on patients assumed to be comatose. It's a highly combustible issue, and one that we don't dare wrangle.

We do think, though, that this story raises important issues in a purely technological regard. As brain-scanning abilities advance, and become more adept at picking up the "signs of life" that Houben's doctors tragically missed, doctors and family caretakers will surely exercise more caution when it comes to making such critically important decisions. Stories like Houben's will likely plant a seed of doubt in anybody's mind now, but that's probably for the best. Better technology means that doctors will have more chances to second-guess themselves; and, as this case proves, second or third guesses may be all that's needed to free patients who lie trapped and screaming in their own bodies. [From: The Guardian, via PopSci]

Tags: brain, brain scan, BrainScan, coma, discovery, doctors, health, medical, mri, top

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