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Related Experiment Videos

Words without mind.

N Schiff1, U Ribary, F Plum

  • 1Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, 1300 York Avenue, NY, NY 10021, USA. nschiff@mail.med. cornell.edu

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|December 22, 1999
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Even in a deeply unconscious brain, specific neuronal groups can generate isolated words. This study used advanced brain imaging to reveal preserved, albeit fragmented, brain activity patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Investigating brain function in prolonged unconsciousness is crucial for understanding consciousness and brain plasticity.
  • Assessing residual cognitive and linguistic capabilities in patients with severe brain damage offers insights into neural network resilience.

Observation:

  • A woman in a 20-year unconscious state spontaneously produced isolated words.
  • Fluorodeoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed global hypometabolism, akin to deep anesthesia.
  • Islands of preserved metabolism were identified in Broca's and Wernicke's areas.

Findings:

  • Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) imaging revealed preserved dynamic patterns of spontaneous and evoked brain activity.
  • Specific gamma-band activity (near 40 Hz) showed abnormal responses to auditory and somatosensory stimulation in the left hemisphere.

Related Experiment Videos

  • MEG localized these responses to the auditory cortex, overlapping with PET-identified metabolically active regions.

    • Implications:

    • Demonstrates that isolated neuronal groups can exhibit activity in a severely damaged, unconscious brain.
    • Suggests that word generation, even in fragments, may rely on modular brain networks.
    • Highlights the potential for residual function and targeted therapeutic interventions in patients with disorders of consciousness.