March 06, 2009
"My story is about not giving up hope":
We've reported before on brain imaging research that shows brain activity in those in a 'persistent vegetative state'. What I didn't know until today was that one subject in this research, Kate, has since woken up. This YouTube video tells Kate's story:
Kate suffered from what was probably brain stem encephalitis at the age of 23. She was the first patient to be scanned by Adrian Owen as part of his research into the mental lives of those in persistent vegetative states. Findings from this research support what Kate herself is able to say in the video: we need to be very careful before making life and death decisions on behalf of people who appear unresponsive.
