五分之一的植物人仍能思考並回應

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Patients thought to be in a permanently "vegetative" state may still be able to think and communicate, a study has confirmed.

Scientists using a device to record brainwaves found "meaningful" responses from one in five patients who appeared unaware of the outside world.

Experts say it could change the way consciousness disorders are classified and may be a practical method for discovering the needs of patients, even whether they still want to live.

Researchers used a portable electroencephalography (EEG) device to record electrical signals from the brains of 16 patients diagnosed as being in a vegetative state.

They were told to imagine moving their right hand and toes although this was physically impossible.

Three produced repeated and appropriate brainwave patterns which showed they were aware of the commands and able to respond to them.

The study – which was published in an online edition of The Lancet medical journal – involved patients at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and University Hospital of Liege, Belgium.

Previous studies have shown that functional magnetic resonance imaging scans can uncover awareness in apparently vegetative patients.

However, fMRI scans are expensive, are often unavailable and can produce confusing results.

Many brain-damaged patients also have metal implants due to traumatic injuries, which rule out MRI scans.

The EEG method is a "considerably cheaper and more portable bedside technique", said one of the researchers, Professor Adrian Owen, from the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge.

"This method could reach all vegetative patients", he added.

Patients diagnosed as vegetative have periods of wakefulness but seem unaware of themselves or their surroundings.

The findings raise ethical issues. Previous research shows some patients with "locked-in syndrome" who cannot move or speak still find life worth living.據英國《每日郵報》11月10日報道，一項研究證實，那些被認爲處於永久植物人狀態的患者可能仍然能夠進行思考和溝通。

科學家用設備記錄下了腦電波的活動，發現在那些看似對外部世界完全無意識的病患中，有五分之一的人做出了“有意義的”迴應。

專家說這將改變意識障礙的分類方式，也是發現患者需求的一種實用方法，甚至能夠用來觀察患者是否還想繼續活下去。

研究人員使用便攜式腦電圖儀記錄了16名被診斷爲處於植物人狀態的患者大腦中傳來的電子信號。

這些患者被告知想象一下移動自己的右手和腳趾，儘管他們的身體並不可能做到。

但重複三次出現的正確的腦電波模式顯示出他們對於這些指令是有意識的，並且能夠作出迴應。

這一研究成果發表在《柳葉刀》醫學雜誌網絡版上，其研究對象包括了劍橋大學阿登布魯克醫院和比利時列日大學校醫院的病患。

以往的研究已經表明，功能磁共振成像掃描能夠發現表面上是植物人的患者的意識。

可是，功能磁共振成像掃描非常昂貴，常常無法使用，而且會得出混亂的結果。

　　許多大腦受損的患者，由於外傷，腦中有金屬植入物，這也排除了使用磁共振掃描的可能。

腦電圖則是一種“相當便宜，更加輕便的牀頭科技”，研究成員之一，來自劍橋醫學研究委員會認知和腦科學小組的阿德里安歐文教授這樣說道。

“這種方式適用於所有的植物人患者”，他補充道。

被診斷爲植物人的患者是有清醒的時期的，但看起來似乎他們對自身和周圍的環境都沒有意識。