Researchers studying people in vegetative states make shock discovery that could redefine consciousness READ MORE: Doctors miss this brain condition nearly 100 PERCENT of the time By Emily Joshu Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 22:00, 14 August 2024 | Updated: 22:09, 14 August 2024 e-mail 8 shares 7 View comments Unresponsive patients may still be conscious enough to 'perform cognitive tests,' a major international study suggests. Researchers in the US, UK and Europe performed MRIs and other brain scans on over 200 people with severe brain injuries that left them in a coma or vegetative state.
The team asked them to imagine various scenarios like 'opening and closing your hand' to measure brain activity and responses . They found that one in four participants were about to repeatedly follow this instruction, suggesting that patients who are largely unaware of what's happening around them may actually be able to understand language, pay attention, and perform simple tasks. The researchers said the findings raise ethical concerns about taking patients off life support or removing their organs too early.
Researchers in four countries found that one in four patients deemed 'unresponsive' were able to follow basic instructions, based on brain scans The researchers said the findings could prevent patients being removed from life support too early when they still have signs of awareness Dr Yelena Bodien, lead study author and investigator from Massachusetts General Hospi.