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aljas — Coma patient with BiS sensor
by-nc-nd
Published: 2011-05-11 18:15:02 +0000 UTC; Views: 2178; Favourites: 4; Downloads: 48
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Description
Illustration for my science work about brain functions in coma patients. measured with bispectral analysis. The patient is vegetative or minimally conscious young man after severe brain injury.That thing on his forehead is BiS - sensor. This sensor shows depth of unconsciousness.
The mystery is that the sensor shows values identical with normal vigilant people.
Done in pen and Photoshop.
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Comments: 6
So would it be safe to assume people in such a state are conscious and thinking without any ability to act. Or instead that the body uses the same idle system of operation whether the person is conscious, or that the body's autonomic nervous system is all that's still functioning?
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There is a diagnosis called locked-in syndrome, when a person has normal intellect but due to infarction in brainsterm he is just able to move his eyes up and down (not to side) and wink.
There is possibility that vegetative patients have perserved functional isles, but they are not able to communicate and have enough production to make patient conscious and react to outer world.
It is common that coma patients can hear, less common to see. And remember!
Sometimes vegetative state is misdiagnosis, for example in paralysed or sensorially disabled patients (deaf, blind)
Sometimes they are minimally conscious, they can simply react. But often when they are in hospital they don`t feel comfortable and doctor who is just a while with patient cannot see what he is able to do (like patients near ones, they usually know the way how to communicate) and he diagnoses vegetative state.
Maybe they are "dreaming", BiS values in REM sleep are similar to awake ones.
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The brain is such an amazing thing
I'd love to see the day when it's mysteries are revealed. And a perfect treatment for severely brain damaged people is possible.
Even though some of the wonder and magic of the human body will be lost.
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Brain and universe is infinite and unexplored place...
There are many questions: we know what means perfect function of liver, heart etc., but brain functions make us what we are. Some people may think that optimal is brain what allows amazing coordination of moves in sportsmen, others science abilities and the other ones brain that can register feelings of other people. Brain is often the limit now - we can treat heart, lungs, digestive and urogenital system... now people die because of brain diseases (like Alzheimer) in well trated body.
It is sad when a person deads, it is more sorrowfull when it is a child or young. But to give vegetative coma patient to his near ones is often worse than to give them corpse.
Many coma patients, when they gain consciousness, have face many problems - palsy, they often loose olfaction or have other sensoric deficites. The thing is that their personality changes, does not mean who they were before injury, they are similar. They often behave like five-year old, they are quick tempered and unable to concentrate. Usually their short - term memory does not work well. They like monotone work and often get frustrated quickly. It is difficult to get on with them, belive me.
In other side brain dead is moment of legal death of a person, brain dead patient can become organ donor. We would loose many donors...
We need limits to our stay here on earth 
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I agree with that
Seems the laws of nature have been re-written to accommodated a mass increase in population. Something that would be great if everyone was thoughtful and kind
And since I haven't said it yet. Great drawing! Although it's sad to think of, he looks peaceful and without regret. Just waiting now.
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