A Conversation With a Man in a Coma
Science fiction authors have been fascinated with the human mind for centuries. As much as we know about the human body, the mind is still largely unmapped territory. In the medical world, comatose patients have always been a subject of intensive study. What are their minds doing? Do they dream? Can they hear you talk?
According to Professor Adrian Owen of the Brain and mind Institute, they can not only hear you – they can talk back.
Meet Scott Rouley, a 39 year old man who was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma for more than 12 years. Through the use of fMRI, a brainwave imaging technology, he has been able to respond to questions by forming thoughts that lit up specific areas of his brain.
This result was first achieved in 2010 by Professor Owen, in a study where comatose patients were asked to imagine themselves playing tennis, which caused activity in one part of the brain, and walking around their home, which caused activity in a different part of the brain. One of these activities represented “Yes” and the other stood for “No.” When asked questions, 5 out of the 54 patients were able to respond correctly. Remember, these are people in a coma with absolutely no motor function. They’re not writing books yet, but it can’t be far off.
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