Sleepers Awake

In the news today is the most remarkable story about UK and Belgian researchers who have found a way to communicate with patients in PVS (Persistent Vegetative State). They have been able to elicit Yes/No answers to their questions by asking patients to imagine themselves playing tennis if the answer is yes, and by then recording activity in the parts of the brain responsible for movement.

This, as I'm sure goes without saying, is an extraordinary discovery and, if further research and wider trials continue to back up their findings, opens up a huge potential for treating and possibly even curing many PVS patients. It will bring hope to hundreds of thousands of friends and family members of people in PVS that they may once again be able to reach their loved ones. It also provokes thoughts about current treatment of people in this condition, and surely must affect decisions about termination of life support or withholding of medical treatment should they become ill.

I don't think I really have anything controversial, profound or insightful to say on this, it just struck as by far the most amazing and potentially far-reaching piece of news I've seen for a very long time. Considering the pace of modern developments in our ability to read, map and interpret brain activity, it surely cannot be beyond our realistic imagination that within a relatively small number if years doctors will be able to go much further than simple "yes/no" responses, and actually read the complex thoughts of people in PVS. And what a revelation those thoughts will be.