Scientists use ultrasound to jump-start a man’s brain after coma

Scientists have used ultrasound to jump start the brain of a 25-year-old man, who was in a coma for a year. The group of scientists from University of California (UCLA) used sonic stimulation to excite the neurons in the thalamus, an egg-shaped structure that serves as the brain’s central hub for processing information. The success of this surgery could pave way for the way medicine treats people who are in comatose state.

Prior to this, doctors would surgically try and treat the brain through a risky procedure called deep brain stimulation, in which electrodes are implanted directly inside the thalamus. The new procedure directly targets the thalamus, but is non-invasive.

Martin Monti, the study’s lead author and a UCLA associate professor of psychology and neurosurgery, told UCLA’s news team that the researchers expected the positive result, but he cautioned that the procedure requires further study on additional patients before they determine whether it could be used consistently to help other people recovering from comas.

A report on the treatment is published in the journal Brain Stimulation. This is the first time the approach has been used to treat severe brain injury.

Before the procedure began, the man showed only minimal signs of being conscious and of understanding speech — for example, he could perform small, limited movements when asked. By the day after the treatment, his responses had improved measurably. Three days later, the patient had regained full consciousness and full language comprehension, and he could reliably communicate by nodding his head “yes” or shaking his head “no.” He even made a fist-bump gesture to say goodbye to one of his doctors.