Posted on 08/01/2007 11:00:27 AM PDT by ElkGroveDan
NEW YORK - A brain-damaged man who could communicate only with slight eye or thumb movements for six years can speak again, after stimulating electrodes were placed in his brain, researchers report.
The 38-year-old also regained the ability to chew and swallow, which allows him to be spoon-fed, rather than relying on nourishment through a tube in his belly.
The man's brain was injured during an assault, he spent six years with only occasional signs of consciousness and no useful movement of his limbs. In an experiment, researchers implanted electrodes in his brain for a procedure called deep brain stimulation, which is routinely done for Parkinson's disease and some other illnesses.
They turned the electrodes on and off over six months to test their effect, and reported the results in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. The man, who was not identified at the family's request, now has them on throughout the day.
Experts called the report exciting but cautioned that the approach must be tested in more people before its value can be known. The researchers have already begun a study of additional patients.
Before the electrodes were implanted the man was in what doctors call a "minimally conscious state." That means he showed only occasional awareness of himself and the environment. In a coma or vegetative state, by contrast, patients show no outward signs of awareness.
There are no firm statistics on how many Americans are in a minimally conscious state, but one estimate suggests 112,000 to 280,000. Doctors may try medications to improve their condition but no drugs have been firmly established as helpful.
The man described in the Nature study speaks in a breathy but audible voice, said Dr. Joseph Giacino, a co-lead author. He does not initiate conversations but can reply to others, typically with one to three words, said Giacino, of the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, N.J.
Several weeks ago he recited the first half of the Pledge of Allegiance without assistance, Giacino said.
The man also recovered some movement. He can demonstrate motions such as brushing his teeth, said study lead author Dr. Nicholas Schiff of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. He can't actually carry out that task because the tendons in his arms contracted after years of immobility.
"He is still totally dependent and severely disabled," Schiff said.
But the treatment has helped him, the man's mother said in a statement. "Now, my son can eat, express himself and let us know if he is in pain. He enjoys a qualify of life we never thought possible," she said.
Dr. James Bernat, a professor of neurology at Darmouth Medical School who didn't participate in the new work, called the Nature report exciting and important. Further study is needed to shed light on how many patients would respond and how to identify the minimally conscious patients with the best chance of being helped, he said.
He noted that a similar treatment did not help Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman in a vegetative state whose care triggered national controversy before her death in 2005. That's the typical outcome for electrical brain stimulation in vegetative states, he said.
Dr. Ross Zafonte of the University of Pittsburgh, who also was familiar with the study results, agreed that "we need to know more" and said the approach is "very interesting and holds great promise."
___
Cool! God Bless him.
"Terri, open your eyes". Then Dr. Cranford praises her for a job well done.
placemark
Enough to keep the DNC's cash flow lucrative.
I read the title and thought this was an article about Joe Biden.
“Hey, bring back that feeding tube!”
Sorry — I couldn’t resist a little macabre joke. This man is fortunante indeed not to be related to old Mikey and under the jurisdiction of Reichsjudge Greer.
Annually we starve and dehydrate to death upwards of 11% of people with severe cognitive impairments, as measured by the Mini Mental State Examination (link below). That would include severe mental retardation, minimally conscious state, persistent vegetative state, and coma. I wonder how many people that is. Even on the low estimate, not counting any of the other brain damaged people, and not counting people killed using other methods, we starve and dehydrate to death over 12,000 minimally conscious people every year.
In 1999, 10.4% of the “severely” cognitively impaired residents of the United States were starved and dehydrated to death.
In 2000, 11.0% of the “severely” cognitively impaired residents of the United States were starved and dehydrated to death.
In 2001, 11.4% of the “severely” cognitively impaired residents of the United States were starved and dehydrated to death.
I haven't found data yet for other years, but I think it's a fair guess that the killings continue to climb.
This doesn't represent a percentage of patients who died (which would be bad enough). It doesn't mean that 11.4% of the patients who died were starved and dehydrated. It means 11.4% of all the people living in the U.S.A. with “severe” cognitive impairments were killed this way. And it doesn't include the ones who were killed using other methods, such as denial of antibiotics for simple infections, cessation of kidney dialysis, removal of breathing assistance, etc. There are some very barbaric methods being used.
The standard used for determining “severe” cognitive impairment for the purpose of this study is a score of 5 or less on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Patients in a coma, ,PVS, or minimally conscious state cannot possibly score 1, much less 5. You've probably seen people in the grocery store with a score of 5 or less. So these killings include a wide range of brain damaged people. I wonder how many thousands of people are living with a score of 5 or less. And for every 1,000 people living with a score of 5 or less in the year 2001, 114 of them were starved and dehydrated to death that year.
All I have before me are the percentages. I'd like to see the corresponding numbers. Or would I?
Following is the breakdown by state for 2001. Notice that Rhode Island tops the list, with just over a third of that population exterminated this way. That might have something to do with the fact that RI has appointed the pro-euthanasia group Choice in Dying the official State agency in charge of informing the public about “end-of-life choices.” They supply forms for “living wills” and “assist” the public in filling out those forms. This is what happens when you put the fox in charge of the henhouse.
Believe it or not, Florida and Texas are both below the national average. Every state is on the list. Georgia is at the bottom of the list, exterminating only 1.30% this way. But like I said, this doesn't include people who were exterminated using other methods.
RI - 33.80%
OR - 32.50%
MI - 28.30%
MT - 28.00%
WI - 27.20%
CA - 23.40%
UT - 23.40%
AZ - 20.90%
PA - 17.40%
MN - 17.20%
AK - 17.10%
CT - 15.40%
WY - 14.90%
MD - 14.60%
NM - 14.20%
SD - 14.10%
WA - 13.20%
OH - 12.90%
ID - 12.30%
IA - 12.10%
MO - 11.90%
National Average - 11.4%
VT - 11.20%
HI - 11.10%
DE - 10.80%
ND - 10.80%
MA - 9.90%
IN - 9.70%
ME - 9.20%
NH - 8.70%
NY - 8.50%
NE - 7.70%
CO - 7.20%
AL - 7.10%
TX - 7.10%
IL - 6.70%
WV - 6.70%
KY - 6.60%
SC - 6.50%
TN - 6.30%
FL - 6.20%
NV - 6.20%
AR - 5.70%
NC - 5.20%
KS - 4.80%
NJ - 4.80%
OK - 4.10%
LA - 3.70%
VA - 3.60%
DC - 3.10%
MS - 3.00%
GA - 1.30%
Facts On Dying ~ This study was funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who adamantly opposes the rights of vulnerable people to continue living. So if any trolls show up, complaining that the data is skewed in favor of life, check the facts and get back to me.
I do not believe Terry should have been killed however in defense of the people who think this case is not the same, there is this quote from the article.
“He noted that a similar treatment did not help Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman in a vegetative state whose care triggered national controversy before her death in 2005. That’s the typical outcome for electrical brain stimulation in vegetative states, he said.”
lol
As I noted above:
I don’t believe there is a sharp distinction between “minimally conscious” and “vegetative” especially with something as complex as the human brain. Such categories are man-made subjective classifications. Nor do I accept the characterization of Terri as “vegetative” since there were numerous people with impressive credentials on both sides of that diagnosis.
Michael Schaivo is breathing relief.
The article noted "He noted that a similar treatment did not help Terri Schiavo," but when was that treatment tried? There have been marvelous advances over the last 10 years.
A valid point however by trying to equate the 2 you seem to be implying that if only they had held off on killing her this would have saved her.
I think we agree that no one in that situation should be killed. Despair is both a sin and a logical fallacy.
Nope. I made no such implication. However many of the arguments that were used while Terri was still alive on the side of killing her, could also have been used in arguing to kill this man.
Michael gave an interview to the Saint Petersburg Times shortly after that procedure. He told them it had helped her. I read the article a week or two ago, and now can’t find it. I’m hoping someone else will chime in and provide a link. I’m pretty sure I got the link from one of the threads here.
“He noted that a similar treatment did not help Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman in a vegetative state whose care triggered national controversy before her death in 2005. That’s the typical outcome for electrical brain stimulation in vegetative states, he said”
My first thought was Terry...
Then I got down to the mention of her ...
I dont remember ever reading that this had been done for her...when was this done and was the application etc in the same way..was it the same type electodes?
Terry was not as disabled as this man...and she spoke etc...
I’ll bet that was NEVER tried on Terri! and We know Terri was NOT in a vegetative state. Terri was murdered in a most horrendous manner.
The brain stimulator implant was a success, said her husband, Mike.
She was in a persistive vegetative state, due to massive brain tissue loss. She was also blind due to cortical loss.
'dmz': "How is it that you know what “side” I am on? Have we ever spoken on this topic? Have you mined my 5900+ FR posts to come up with anything I’ve said on the Terri Schiavo topic? I can answer for you. You don’t know what side I am on. No, we have never spoken on this topic, and no, you’ve not mined my posting history for anything on this topic. In other words, you know spit about me and my thoughts on this topic."
Thanks for the invite...
12-Year-Old Maryland Girl Has Not Aged In Years'yellowdoghunter' (replying to 'smiley', not 'dmz'): "Sad to say that some would want to starve/thirst her to death....maybe even some here at FR. And then you got the ones that worry about what this is costing....shameful. Anyway, prayers for that little girl and her family. May God give them strength."
'dmz': "What a crock you are spewing. Show me one post from any person anywhere on the planet earth that has recommmended starving her. It has never happened anywhere except in your head. No one on this thread (through post 71) has even mentioned cost EXCEPT YOU. In my book, you are the shameful one, intent on exploiting every medical situation outside the norm as another Terri Schiavo situation. Disgusting."
*** *** *** *** *** (Since banned) 'conserv13': "Cannibalism? Is he actually eating the embryos?"
'dmz': "No, only the stem cells, with a side of onion rings."
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