I wouldn't be too sure about that. With exciting results like these in what were considered hopeless cases, zolpidem is going to be studied. And if it proves successful, it's going to become standard of care, whether or not the FDA approves it.
I'm curious about several things, but a few right off the bat:
1. Are the patients involved PVS or MCS (minimally conscious state)?
2. Does the patient's brain have to be basically anatomically intact? (If the theory involving GABA is correct, I'd guess "yes.")
3. How long is "transient"? One description I found seemed to say that the patient involved had only a brief lucid time each morning. (It would be truly hard to have a loved one back for only 10 minutes each day!) More hopefully, another report for a different patient mentioned 3 to 4 hours.
This struck me as interesting -
2. Does the patient's brain have to be basically anatomically intact?
what does "basically anatomically intact" require ?
How about the elderly? My 90+ year old mother still has a sharp mind, but she sleeps quite a lot.
Do the elderly sleep so much because their sleep is "poorer quality" sleep?
Will research lead to a pill that allows her to be awake more hours, but still keep a sharp mind?