Canada Ping!
Posted on 11/14/2012 6:20:31 AM PST by NYer
More than 12 years after a car accident left him in a vegetative state, a Canadian man has begun communicating with doctors who are monitoring his brain activity through Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans.
The BBC reports that 39-year-old Scott Routley has been able to communicate to doctors that he is not in any pain, marking the first time an uncommunicative, severely brain-damaged patient has been able to give direct answers regarding their care and treatment.
"Scott has been able to show he has a conscious, thinking mind," British neuroscientist Adrian Owen told the BBC. "We have scanned him several times and his pattern of brain activity shows he is clearly choosing to answer our questions. We believe he knows who and where he is."
Owen leads a team at the Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, which used MRI scans to measure responses from Routley.
Traditional tests have continued to indicate that Routley is in a vegetative state, with no relevant brain activity. Owen and other doctors say this means medical text books will literally need to be re-written when it comes to evaluating patients suffering from severe brain injuries.
Routley's previous neurologist said that for a decade all test results taken from scans of Routley's brain indicated he was not experiencing any mental activity.
"I was impressed and amazed that he was able to show these cognitive responses, said University Hospital's Bryan Young. "He had the clinical picture of a typical vegetative patient and showed no spontaneous movements that looked meaningful."
Owen says the results could lead to improved patient care for those living with severe brain injuries, making a major improvement in the daily of patients, including routine tasks such as when they prefer to be fed or bathed.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Canada Ping!
COPD, chronic bronkitis, lungs no good
IBS..that long tube from mouth to bum no good
Brain useless, cann't remember shi-..
Liver ok, but am working on that with bourbon...Just live long enough so they don't want anything of yours...Refused to sign donation card as extra precaution...Oh yea, Kidneys act up once in a while, cannot take them either. My durable power of attorney for health care also says no code... Organs have to be harvested on a living person, thats why they keep you on machines until your empty...
The problem is people here are way too trusting in authority figures. From what I understand, the U.S. and Germany are the top two countries in measuring our trust in authority figures. I wonder what the libs would say if you asked them if they wanted George W. Bush, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin or Rick Santorum in charge of their health care? They may want Obama to do it but Obama's not always gonna be president.
I certainly hope "independent life" isn't the standard by which we're allowed to let patients die. They are plenty of people who can't live independently, newborn babies for one thing, and they still have the right to life.
You could just say that you’re a homo, then I think you are off the list for all organs. High-risk lifestyle and all that. Works for the annoying blood bank solicitors.
Too late for Terry Schiavo.
Hopefully, not too late for others.
Of course, all the ZeroCare lovers are trying to rid us of all these people and anyone near this condition.
I do. Every day.
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