Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Scientists ‘jump-start’ man’s brain after coma

Scientists have used a sonic technique to excite a man's neurons, effectively waking up a man from a coma.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
August 26, 2016
in Neurology, News, Science

Scientists have used a sonic technique to excite a man’s neurons, and the technology could one day be used to wake people up from a coma.

“It’s almost as if we were jumpstarting the neurons back into function,” says lead researcher Martin Monti.

The technology works by stimulating the thalamus, highlighted in this image. Image in public domain, via Wiki Commons.

It was a remarkable achievement, and it was the first time such a non-invasive technique was used. The technique is called low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation, and was pioneered by Alexander Bystritsky, a UCLA professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences in theSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Basically, the device he created creates a small sphere of low-intensity acoustic energy at ultrasound frequencies, exciting the patient’s brain tissue. The device itself is about as big as a cup of coffee, and the amount of energy it emits is quite low. But the biggest breakthrough of this technology is that it’s non-invasive.

“Until now, the only way to achieve this was a risky surgical procedure known as deep brain stimulation, in which electrodes are implanted directly inside the thalamus,” he said. “Our approach directly targets the thalamus but is noninvasive.”

However, while the initial results were thrilling, Monti says we should wait a bit more until the technique is validated on other patients as well. He says that the first thing we should be sure of is that this wasn’t a lucky coincidence.

“It is possible that we were just very lucky and happened to have stimulated the patient just as he was spontaneously recovering,” Monti said.

The technique targets the thalamus because, in people whose mental function is deeply impaired after a coma, thalamus performance is typically diminished. In this case, the patient showed only minimal signs of being conscious and of understanding speech. In just hours, his state was improved considerably. In three days, regained full consciousness and full language comprehension, and he could reliably communicate by nodding his head “yes” or shaking his head “no.”

Because the device is so small and easy to transport, it could be incorporated into a portable “wake-up device,” helping patients in a vegetative or minimally conscious state. It’s still too early to say if the technology can truly wake people from a coma, but with the results so far, it’s hard not to get excited.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. The seat of consciousness might lie in two brain regions. Stimulating them could wake up patients from coma
  2. Scientists jump-start consciousness in brains of monkeys
  3. Never before seen brain activity in deep coma detected
  4. Common Anti-Anxiety drug wakes man up from coma
  5. An English-speaking teenager woke up from a coma speaking fluent Spanish
Tags: comathalamus

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW