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FRONTIERS
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Frontiers explores new ideas in science, meeting the researchers who听see the world through fresh eyes and challenge existing theories - as well as听hearing from听their critics. Many听such developments create new ethical and moral questions and Frontiers is not afraid to consider these.
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Vegetative State
In the first of a new series of Frontiers, Peter Evans discusses new research into vegetative state.
Scientists at Cambridge University recently published a paper suggesting that there were 鈥渋slands鈥 of brain function in the brain of a patient in a vegetative state.
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the researchers have shown that the patient鈥檚 brain apparently responded to spoken instructions.
In one dramatic example, the woman was asked to imagine a game of tennis, and scientists were able to detect significant activity in the motor areas of her brain.
Peter Evans discusses the research with two of its authors: researcher Adrian Owen and clinician John Pickard. Peter also talks to Keith Andrews, Director of the Institute of Neuropalliative Care at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability.
The wider question behind this research relates to our understanding of consciousness. Can we reasonably say that the 'islands' of brain function discovered by the researchers at Cambridge mean that this particular patient was demonstrating 'conscious awareness'?
Peter discusses this point with John Saunders, who chairs the Royal College of Physicians鈥 Ethical Issues in Medicine Committee, and Adam Zeman, Professor of Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology at Peninsula Medical School, Exeter.
Peter also talks to Martin Coleman, who works at Cambridge University鈥檚 Impaired Consciousness Group. Part of Martin鈥檚 work is to develop 'brain-computer interfaces', a technology that might help people to communicate, using only their brain waves. |
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