The potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to advance medical techniques was further highlighted this week when researchers made a breakthrough in communicating with a patient thought to have been in a vegetative state.
Scientists in Canada used a functional MRI scanner to ‘speak’ to the patient for the first time in 12 years.
While inside the scanner, he was asked a series of questions, such as ‘are you in hospital’, and answered by concentrating on the specific words ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Using this method he was able to tell the team that he knew his name and that he was in the hospital at the time the exercise took place.
For the first time, we showed that a patient clinically diagnosed as ‘vegetative’ can use his attention to show that he is conscious, and to communicate with the outside world
The breakthrough has huge implications for the future care of patients previously thought to be uncommunicative.
Researcher, Adrian Owen, said: “It will make detecting who is conscious and who is not much faster and more reliable and for those who are conscious, communicating their wishes will be that much easier.”
The scientists met the patient on two occasions, five months apart, and found he was aware of his environment, meaning he could maintain coherent thoughts and lead a rich mental life.
“For the first time, we showed that a patient clinically diagnosed as ‘vegetative’ can use his attention to show that he is conscious, and to communicate with the outside world,’ said Lorina Naci, lead researcher on the study at Western University in London, Ontario.
The team plan to continue using the method of communication with behaviourally non-responsive patients who may similarly have been misdiagnosed as having no brain function.
The research has been reported on The Journal of America Medical Association for Neurology, as part of the study, Making Every Word Count for Non-Responsive Patients