Pace Maker for the Brain May Help Patients in a Minimally Conscious State

A patient who had been in a minimally conscious state for six years was able to speak, drink from a mug, and comb his hair and follow the movements of people in his hospital room after doctors implanted a device in his thalamus that had previously been approved for patients people suffering from Parkinson's Disease and other neurological disorders. In the year since the device has been implanted the man can now speak in simple sentences and can recite nearly twenty words of the Pledge of Allegiance. The device, which has been described as a "pacemaker for the brain" was implanted in his thalamus, and batteries were inserted in his chest.

People who followed the news several years ago might remember Terry Schiavo. After a prolonged legal battle, her husband won the right to have her feeding tubes removed. Schiabvo was in a Persistent Vegetative state and spent most of her time unconscious. People in a minimally conscious state (MCS) have limited awareness of their environment although they may not be able to communicate with people around them.

The doctors who implanted the device do not yet know why it worked for this man but hold out hope the find can be applied to others. Due to the differences and severity of injuries to the brain, implanting the Deep Brain Stimulator may not work for everyone. Even though why exactly the device worked for the MCS man is unknown, one person theorized the the device may have amplified the week signals in the brain to be strong enough to enable communication with the nerves of his body.

The minimally conscious patient in whom the device was inserted may or may not continue to improve as certain of his muscles have atrophied during his long convalescence. Staff at the facility where he lives reports that he can now hold a toothbrush up to his mouth but lacks the coordination to brush his teeth. Ironically, the mother of the victim gave the order not to prolong her sons life by artificial means shortly after he suffered the attack that left him in a near coma.

The device not bring everyone in an MCS back to a fully conscious state, but it offers hope to the 30,000 such patients currently cared for in long term nursing home facilities across the country.

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-awake2aug02,0,1866069.story?coll=la-home-center

http://www.megite.com/science/1186050018/21