New study explaining how some patients in a vegetative state can retain awareness despite being unab
Check out our new paper "A Thalamocortical Mechanism for the Absence of Overt Motor Behavior in Covertly Aware Patients" in JAMA Neurology here.
New insight into a vital cerebral pathway has explained how some patients in a vegetative state are aware despite appearing to be unconscious and being behaviourally unresponsive.
The findings, published in JAMA Neurology, identify structural damage between the thalamus and primary motor cortex as the obstacle between covert awareness and intentional movement.
The team of researchers hope that their study, the first to understand the phenomenon, will pave the way for the development of restorative therapies for thousands of patients.
See media coverage here
