Up to one in four patients who are unresponsive after suffering serious brain injuries might actually still be conscious – indicating more patients may be aware of their surroundings than previously realized, new research suggests.

This state of 'hidden consciousness' is now officially known as cognitive motor dissociation (CMD), where cognitive (or thinking) abilities aren't connected to motor (or movement) abilities. Researchers have been looking into CMD for several years.

However, 62 percent of an additional 112 patients who were visibly responding to instructions at the bedside didn't exhibit the expected brain signals showing responsiveness – so the researchers suggest their methods still don't detect everyone with cognitive function.

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[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 54 points 2 months ago (2 children)

However, 62 percent of an additional 112 patients who were visibly responding to instructions at the bedside didn't exhibit the expected brain signals showing responsiveness – so the researchers suggest their methods still don't detect everyone with cognitive function.

AKA: kinda bullshit science. ~50% of the time they're seeing the wrong thing? That's not even in the range of what people would consider to be a hypothesis I'd say.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

I wouldn't call it bullshit, it's the media cycle trying to find interesting research for profitable articles that spun the bullshit. This is likely a secondary study on the way to scientifically measuring consciousness. "Publish or perish" type shit.

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

Yeah, brains are weird. I'm glad they included this flip side of the study.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 47 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I can’t imagine a greater hell than being trapped in my own mind without the ability to move or communicate. This is interesting and unsettling at the same time.

[–] Okokimup@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

This is the premise of Johnny Got His Gun, an anti-war novel by Dalton Trumbo.

[–] SHOW_ME_YOUR_ASSHOLE@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Great book and also where Metallica got the inspiration for their song "One".

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Metallica's first ever video. My teenage ass stumbled in one night, turned on Mtv's Headbanger Ball and saw, "The world premiere of Metallica's ONE!"

Jesus help me, did not expect that.

(For those not around at the time, Metallica swore to never sell out and do an Mtv video. Ever.)

[–] BackOnMyBS@lemmy.autism.place 1 points 2 months ago

Metallica swore to never sell out

They tricked me too. Then that Napster thing happened.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 months ago

I didn't realize that was Trumbo or that he wrote novels. All I knew of him was scripts. Thanks for that info.

[–] Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Well that's kinda terrifying. Being "locked in" is one of the scarier things I can imagine, and it sounds like it might be a lot more common than we thought.

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

Yeah, have been in the room with a comatose person. Some people are good at just dumping out a one-sided conversation, but not me. The inclusion of the percentage of people who were clearly responsive but whose brain scans didn't indicate the expected activity is really important to take note of though. Really does need more study to refine our understanding.

[–] Shelena@feddit.nl 7 points 2 months ago

This is very scary.

[–] Anissem@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Someone send this to the Black Mirror crew for a new episode idea.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

John Scalzi’s got you covered:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-scalzi/lock-in/

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

right?

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Metallica did it.