title: Right median nerve electrical stimulation to hasten awakening from coma.
abstract: Electrical stimulation of the right median nerve may hasten the awakening of closed head injured, comatose patients. A series of 25 comatose patients have been treated. These patients made better recoveries than similar individuals reported in the literature. In a double-blind pilot project patients in the treated group scored better on interval Glasgow Coma Scale scores, spent fewer days in the intensive care unit, and showed better Glasgow Outcome Scores at 1 month post-injury. Peripheral electrical stimulation of the right median nerve, through activation of the ascending reticular activating system, may be sufficient to arouse the moderate to severely comatose patient.
authors.affiliation: East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jane
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003128:Coma / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003243:Consciousness; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013997:Time Factors