Electrode brain implant could potentially zap people out of comas. Unconscious monkeys zapped in one area of the brain suddenly woke up…
February 14, 2020
Brain scans have suggested that an area called the thalamus, which is located just above the brain stem, plays a role in consciousness... Before the approach can be tried in comatose patients, Saalmann’s team needs to do more animal studies. They’re planning to do experiments to see if they can keep monkeys conscious for longer to do certain tasks like playing video games. He hopes to move the approach to clinical trials in comatose patients within a few years...