Man in coma regains consciousness after ultrasound treatment

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) are crediting a noninvasive ultrasound technique with helping a man recover from a coma more quickly.

According to a press release issued by the university, the method is called low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation, and it involves a small device used to aim acoustic energy at the thalamus, which is considered "the brain's central hub for processing information."

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This part of the brain is targeted because "...in people whose mental function is deeply impaired after a coma, thalamus performance is typically diminished. And medications that are commonly prescribed to people who are coming out of a coma target the thalamus only indirectly."

The team's recently published report describes the case of the 25-year-old man who had made limited progress after being in a coma.

However, he began to show a marked improvement after researchers treated him with the device by activating it "10 times for 30 seconds each, in a 10-minute period."

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As the release states, "Before the procedure began, the man showed only minimal signs of being conscious and of understanding speech — for example, he could perform small, limited movements when asked. By the day after the treatment, his responses had improved measurably. Three days later, the patient had regained full consciousness and full language comprehension, and he could reliably communicate by nodding his head 'yes' or shaking his head 'no.'"

The next step is to test the technique on more patients, and in the long-run, researchers envision the creation of a portable device "as a low-cost way to help 'wake up' patients."