There is a new study suggesting that people in a minimally conscious state can learn a rudimentary form of language, or at least a string of syllables previously unknown. He has so much to say about this sort of thing, and he is the perfect person to speak to.
He told me that the brains of minimally conscious people are similar to those of conscious people, even though they are unable to communicate. He told me about attempts to bring people back into consciousness. I'll return to those soon.
It's difficult to do this kind of research in people who are minimally conscious or unresponsive. Being in a coma isn't the same as either of these. People who are minimally conscious can communicate but can't always. People in a wakefulness state can't talk.
The brain activity of people in a minimally conscious state was recorded using a cap of electrodes by the researcher. When his team played audio of familiar words, the participants showed waves of activity in their brains, suggesting that they knew each word.
The patterns of activity suggested that the team only processed the words individually.
They played the new words thousands of times in order to teach the participants. The participants showed waves of brain activity for the entire words, just as they did with familiar real words. They may have learned the new words.
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