Awakenings
60 Minutes just aired an incredible piece on new findings for brain injured people in a minimally conscious state.
The story describes fireman Don Herbert who was injured when a roof fell on him while making a rescue attempt. Unconscious for 10 years, Don is shown waking up and being aware of the fact that he was "gone."
The next story is of George Menendez who also sustained brain injury and was minimally conscious. His mother thought to give him Ambien for sleep one night when he was moaning. George, for the first time, opened his eyes and was able to communicate with his family.
Experts believe there is a subset of brain injured people who may respond to Ambien. PET scans were done before and after Ambien was ingested and the results were remarkable. The brain showed distinctive functioning after Ambien.
This is an exciting discovery and I hope there is more to come. To see the amazing 12 minute video click here.
