Scientists bring two patients out of coma using ultrasound

The first successful attempt to remove the patientin a coma was taken in 2016 when a team of scientists led by Martin Monti of the University of California, Los Angeles awakened a 25-year-old recovering man. The technology used sound stimulation to energize neurons in the thalamus, an ovoid structure that serves as the brain's central node for processing information.

Now Monty and his colleagues report that two morepatients with severe craniocerebral injuries (both were in a prolonged “minimally conscious state”) achieved impressive success using the same technique.

A device was created to apply the technologythe size of a coffee saucer, which generates acoustic energy that spreads over a sphere and stimulates various areas of the brain. Placed on the side of the patient's head, the unit is activated 10 times for 30 seconds for 10 minutes. The developers said the device is safe because it emits only a small amount of energy - less than the conventional Doppler ultrasound used in standard ultrasound.

The first patient (male, 56 years old) was in a coma 14months after a stroke. After two procedures, he was able to perform two successive functions - to throw and catch the ball, as well as look at specific photographs of relatives whose names were pronounced by doctors. In addition, the patient was able to answer questions about his name and the name of his wife with a nod of the head. After the second stage of treatment, the patient, for the first time after the stroke, demonstrated the ability to use a pen to write on paper and hold a bottle to his mouth, as well as communicate and answer questions.

Another patient who improvedcondition is a 50-year-old woman who, after a cardiac arrest for more than two and a half years, was in an even less conscious state. A few days after the first treatment, she was able to recognize a pencil, a comb and other objects for the first time in many years. Both patients showed the ability to understand speech.

However, there was also a third patient, consciouswhose procedure had no effect. This is a 58 year old man who got into a car accident 5.5 years ago and was in a coma with minimal consciousness. The negative result could have been influenced by a long time in a coma.

Leader of the group of scientists Monty said that hisThe team is planning more research to find out exactly how thalamic ultrasound changes brain function. He plans to begin clinical trials as soon as researchers and patients are confident that they are safe from COVID-19.

Source: ucla