Are the "sleeping pills" putting a specific area of the patient's brain to sleep? Is it an area that is overactive?
If so, does that mean the patient was really "awake" (in some way or another), while in the so-called state of "unawareness"?
The researchers think the reason that those with PVS come out of it has something to do with the Ambien which apparently blocks GABA, some kind of hormone or chemical that shuts the brain down to allow it to recover from trauma.