In 2005, a 23-year-old woman with a severe brain injury showed brain activity when instructed to imagine playing tennis, indicating potential awareness. This breakthrough led to a new consciousness testing method, focusing on brain areas linked to specific commands. A 2024 study revealed that one in four physically unresponsive patients displayed similar brain responses, suggesting they could understand instructions. Advanced neuroimaging techniques are primarily used in research settings due to their cost and expertise requirements. Recent medical guidelines have begun to recommend these tests for clinical practice, offering hope in understanding consciousness in unresponsive individuals.
A 2024 study found that one in four physically unresponsive individuals displayed brain activity suggesting they could understand and follow commands to imagine specific activities.
Neuroscientist Adrian Owen's research introduced a method for testing consciousness by focusing on brain activity linked to verbal commands.
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