A nerve implant has restored signs of consciousness to a man who has been in a persistent vegetative state for 12 months . ’s. The pioneering therapy challenges the previous belief that there was no chance of a return to consciousness after 15 years in a vegetative state. The procedure involved attaching an implant to stimulate the vagus nerve and, although still paralysed and unable to speak, the 35-year-old was then able to respond to simple requests. The next stages of the trials undertaken by the scientists at the University of Birmingham Cognitives Lyon in Marc Jeannerod will be to treat patients with less severe brain injuries.
A nerve implant has restored signs of consciousness to a man who has been in a persistent vegetative state for 12 months . The pioneering therapy challenges the previous belief that there was no chance of a return to consciousness after 15 years in a vegetative state. The procedure involved attaching an implant to stimulate the vagus nerve and, although still paralysed and unable to speak, the 35-year-old was then able to respond to simple requests. The next stages of the trials undertaken by the scientists at the University of Birmingham Cognitives Lyon in Marc Jeannerod will be to treat patients with less severe brain injuries.