A recent study of patients who have experienced brain damage and seem unresponsive indicates that up to one-fourth of them may still be “in there” and capable of thought, even though they aren’t responding outwardly to stimuli. For the study, a series of cognitive tests were carried out on patients who had been either minimally conscious or in a persistent vegetative state for at least eight months.

These patients had been in car accidents or experienced other trauma that caused significant brain damage and were not showing signs of typical responses to questions, commands, or physical touch. To date, this is the largest study of its type, and neurologists and others in the medical and scientific fields predict that there will be many more studies of its type. It’s important to determine how much awareness people in this state may have, and if there’s a way to help them communicate.

Some patients with other kinds of cognitive dissociation are able to learn to use brain implants for communication purposes, so the hope is that something similar could be done with patients in persistent vegetative states. Many of these patients die within a few weeks or months of their original injuries, but those who live longer may be more resilient and have more awareness. These patients can sometimes live for years in this state.

If they can communicate in some way through brain implants or other methods this could reopen many aspects of the world to them. Currently, they may be mostly trapped in their bodies, aware of what’s taking place around them and able to think, but not able to interact with others. Researchers point out that knowing this to be the case for at least some patients now means that it’s vitally important to do something about it.

With a focus on ways to determine which patients have conscious thoughts and how to help them express that in the future, more patients who are in persistent vegetative states or experiencing minimal consciousness may be able to interact with loved ones and their medical teams. This could mark a significant difference in the quality of life for many of these patients.

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