neurology - Gizmodo

posts about #neurology more →
Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
Playing Tetris Will Get You A More Efficient Brain
Brain Surgeons Give Mute Man Second Chance to Speak
Companies Scan Japanese Brains To Better Target Ads

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
11/24/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
He wasn't in a coma. He was just extremely sleepy..
Reply

Poop Cooper
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
Is it difficult for most modern hospitals to use modern scanning techniques these days? Twenty-three years ago, maybe it was different, but I've never understood - especially if you have a machine onsite just a floor down - why so many doctors are like, "Meh, I shined a light right in his eye. That's pretty much science right there," and decline to cart him 100 feet over.

If doctors had a procedure available that could treat an extra 40% of cancer patients a year and save 3,000-5,000 lives at a time, but declined to do so because "we've always done it this way," I'm pretty certain we'd be racing for pitchforks and torches.

We all flame-on over AT&T's 3G coverage, or whether Windows 7 will outperform Vista, but if there's ever been something we should be passionate about when it comes to technology, getting doctors to use it should be it.
Reply

Edited by Poop Cooper at 11/23/09 10:37 PM Poop Cooper was starred Poop Cooper was unstarred

Paul Beardfacé
11/23/09

@Poop Cooper: If scrubs has taught me anything it depends on whether the patient has insurance or not
Reply

Poop Cooper promoted this comment Paul Beardfacé was starred Paul Beardfacé was unstarred

ninjikiran
11/23/09

@Poop Cooper: Or making it more efficient. Everything these days revolves around money, even if they wanted to greed gets in the way of many medical decisions. Very inept decision based on the short term rather than the long term.

The United States more than any other rich nation can serve as testimony to this. We spend more on health care a year that would be saved if we spent more on preventative measures.

In Puerto Rico which is a common wealth of the US if your in a serious car accident they usually just leave you on the side of the road to die. ICU is expensive for them, where many could be saved they choose to save money.(My brother lived there for a while, just one of the stories he told me)
Reply

Poop Cooper promoted this comment Edited by ninjikiran at 11/23/09 11:24 PM ninjikiran was starred ninjikiran was unstarred

theubersmurf
11/23/09

@Poop Cooper: A lot of hospitals aren't equipped to perform expensive tests. The hospitals themselves don't make enough money to buy things like that. Most people's insurance (in the U.S.) precludes elaborate testing procedures, without the funds to undertake an expensive procedure, people are often S.O.L. Even when they have an assailable condition.
Reply

Poop Cooper promoted this comment theubersmurf was starred theubersmurf was unstarred

Poop Cooper
11/24/09

Well, it's starting to look like my populist rage might have been unheeded. Luckily (maybe?) it's looking like these statistics and this story could all be a farce of some kind, and to be honest, I hope so. I'd take much greater comfort knowing I got duped, this guy didn't have suffer for 23 years, and that doctors aren't nearly as incompetent as I have them pegged, than to think the pessimism of @theubersmurf is reality.

Unfortunately, I don't think that the credibility of this article and such a harsh reality are mutually exclusive.
Reply

Poop Cooper was starred Poop Cooper was unstarred

Poop Cooper
11/24/09

@Paul Beardfacé: You truly are a reflection of your namesake, sir.
Reply

Poop Cooper was starred Poop Cooper was unstarred

Poop Cooper
11/24/09

@ninjikiran: I'm confused. You're saying that the US inefficiently spends too much money that would be better spent on preventative services, but then give an example of how not enough money is spent on ICUs. If possible, can you clarify your point a little more?
Reply

Poop Cooper was starred Poop Cooper was unstarred

Frisky Unicorns
11/24/09

@Poop Cooper: So, like you said below, it looks like this is all a fake. But as in the case of so much bad science reporting, we will be left with the repercussions--in this case, diminished trust in the science behind gross examinations.

The light in the eye isn't "pretty much science." It's just science.

Just like the Glasgow Coma Scale is just science. Even the Coma Science Group, of which Dr. Laureys is the head, does not dispute its use--which is certainly not the impression one gets from this bad story.

This is a terribly reported story. It is unprofessional.

Arrgh.
Reply

Poop Cooper promoted this comment Frisky Unicorns was starred Frisky Unicorns was unstarred

Poop Cooper
11/24/09

@Frisky Unicorns: Yeah, I certainly made an ass out of myself with that crack about using the Glasgow Coma Scale. I can see how the author fell for this though - it definitely re-affirms our fears when it comes to our doctors' competence and preys on the fear that comes with how little control we actually have when any malady comes along.

Hopefully the article will be amended with an update if this is indeed proven wrong.
Reply

Poop Cooper was starred Poop Cooper was unstarred

Shamoononon: I shave my legs.
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
"I shall never forget the day when they discovered what was truly wrong with me - it was my second birth."

Wow.
Reply

AqueousBeef
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
There was a House episode about this!
Reply

AqueousBeef was starred AqueousBeef was unstarred

Shamoononon: I shave my legs.
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
I read this earlier, how terrifying. I'm glad somebody was able to get through to him, I only wonder if he sometimes misses some of the nurse's stories.
Reply

blash
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
How has he not gone insane after 23 years? It's better than no interaction at all (i.e. solitary confinement), but 23 years of quasi-solitary confinement I would've thought would lead to some kind of permanent psychological damage.
Reply

blash was starred blash was unstarred

Gary_7vn
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
I wonder if this poor guy could benefit from any of the new neural interfaces they have out there? Even the ability to move a cursor with his thoughts would be a huge step for him.
Reply

Gary_7vn was starred Gary_7vn was unstarred

phunnyballs
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
what would be bad is if they used needles did dentist work, or like did minor surgery w/o pain killers because they thought you were unconscious
Reply

phunnyballs was starred phunnyballs was unstarred

Rusty Shackleford
11/23/09

@phunnyballs: I thought he was still paralyzed? But they just thought he was unconscious as well.
Reply

phunnyballs promoted this comment Rusty Shackleford was starred

phunnyballs
11/23/09

@Rusty Shackleford: There are types of paralysis where you still feel pain.

I was more so making reference to Arrested Development when Buster was faking his coma.
Reply

phunnyballs was starred phunnyballs was unstarred

Rusty Shackleford
11/23/09

@phunnyballs: Oh, sorry. I never saw that show before.

#tips
Reply

Rusty Shackleford was starred

Fractal the Meek
11/24/09

@phunnyballs: Wow. Way to bring my heart wrenching sympathy for him and utter fear of this ever happening again to the next level. Ought to sleep great now.
Reply

Fractal the Meek was starred Fractal the Meek was unstarred

Kaiser-Machead
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
I imagine a Gizmodian's first impulse upon reading a headline like this is to make some kind of cartoon coma comment for a joke....but after reading this it escapes me. How horrible this must be for anyone to experience.
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

Segador
11/23/09

@Kaiser-Machead: I thought the exact same thing. 23 years.
Reply

Segador was starred Segador was unstarred

iansilv
11/23/09

@Segador: I, uhmmm...

I am that guy that left the first joke comment. And now shame is sinking in...
Reply

Segador promoted this comment Edited by iansilv at 11/23/09 9:54 PM iansilv was starred iansilv was unstarred

Segador
11/23/09

@iansilv:Don't feel too bad. I think there's an impulse to make light of a situation like this in order to avoid actually considering the reality.
Reply

Segador was starred Segador was unstarred

iansilv
11/23/09

@Segador: Yup. To be honest, the thing that really amazes me is the ineptness of the medical community at large to not jump on this RIGHT NOW and start treating people in comas appropriately.

#tips
Reply

iansilv was starred iansilv was unstarred

Calzo
11/23/09

In reply to Brain Scan Finds Man Was Not in a Coma—23 Years Later
What a great attitude to have after 23 years of bullshit. Waking up: sometimes it's worth it.
Reply

Calzo was starred Calzo was unstarred

Margatron
09/03/09

In reply to Playing Tetris Will Get You A More Efficient Brain
Yes! An excuse to play more videogames!

BTW my favourite version of tetris is "The New Tetris" for N64 (not Tetris Sphere). It's the one where you have to form cubes that then congeal together and create multipliers for the lines. (Gold=x10, Silver=x5) Anyone else play this?
Reply

Margatron was starred Margatron was unstarred

alexmg2420
09/02/09

In reply to Playing Tetris Will Get You A More Efficient Brain
Well, this is good, because I play the HELL out of it. I think I have a copy of it on every electronic I own (PC, phone, iPod, TI-89, etc.)! LOVE IT. But then again, who doesn't?
Reply

Jesus Diaz promoted this comment alexmg2420 was starred alexmg2420 was unstarred

os_2
09/02/09

In reply to Playing Tetris Will Get You A More Efficient Brain
wow.. all that Tetris back in grade school really paid off.
Reply

Jesus Diaz promoted this comment os_2 was starred os_2 was unstarred

InsidiousTuna
09/02/09

In reply to Playing Tetris Will Get You A More Efficient Brain
Now there's a legitimate reason for me to stop studying and play Tetris in the Terminal?

Sweet.
Reply

InsidiousTuna was starred InsidiousTuna was unstarred

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
09/02/09

In reply to Playing Tetris Will Get You A More Efficient Brain
Wow! If I played Tetris while listening to loud music I could become some kind of super genius....
Reply

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion