The 35-year-old has been in a vegetative state for 15 years. By implanting a vagus nerve stimulator in his chest, he partially regained consciousness. The experimental therapy used by French doctors is a hope for patients in a coma.
- A man who had been in a vegetative state for 15 years began to react to his surroundings. His condition began to improve when doctors implanted a pacemaker in him
- The device is placed in the patient’s chest and stimulates his vagus nerve
- If further research confirms the effectiveness of the therapy, the method developed by doctors in France could help other patients in a similar condition recover.
French doctors used an innovative method in a man who was in a vegetative state as a result of a car accident. In such patients, the part of the brain that is responsible for awareness of oneself, surroundings and association is damaged. A person is conscious, but he does not know what is happening around him, he is also unable to communicate with the environment.
The miracle or the power of science?
Specialists placed a vagus nerve stimulator in the man’s chest. the center in the brain responsible for alertness. A month after the surgery, the man began to respond to his mother’s voice when she read him books and when someone approached his bed. A man can also carry out a simple command, such as turning his head or following an object lifted by the doctor. Thanks to the operation, he opens his eyes and his face expresses joy or surprise.
Despite considerable success, French doctors are cautious about their work. They emphasize that further testing is necessary and checking whether the pacemaker will also work in other patients.
– For years, hopes have been placed on the stimulation of the vagus nerve. It was believed that this method could improve brain function. This is justified because the vagus nerve has its centers in the brainstem, so its stimulation may indirectly affect the reticular formation of the brainstem, the damage of which is responsible for the vegetative state and lack of consciousness in the patient. However, since this effect is only indirect, the method has not gained much popularity among researchers – says Prof. Wojciech Maksymowicz, head of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University Teaching Hospital in Olsztyn.
How it works?
The clinic in Olsztyn is the only place in Poland, doctors help patients in a similar condition. So far, the condition of 15 patients has been improved. Even though prof. Maksymowicz and his team do not implant the vagus nerve stimulators, but the upper part of the cervical spine, which is located below the head, and the way they work is very similar. – In both cases, we obtain a decrease in sympathetic activity, thanks to which the vessels expand and we actually observe the work of the brain. I am counting on the French to perform more treatments to be able to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of their method. The experiment shows that medicine has a long way to go before we can reverse the effects of damage from accidents, for example, and bring patients back to consciousness and to a normal life. In this way, we will only help some of the sick, because sometimes the damage is so strong that there is no chance of returning to consciousness. Fortunately, we are better able to diagnose patients and indicate which of them, despite the fact that sometimes many years have passed since the accident, have a chance to improve – adds Prof. Maksymowicz.