Reviving Consciousness in Injured Brains From: Scientific American Mind - Jan/Feb 2010 - page 20 By: Christof Koch Direct stimulation of the arousal centers in patients may restore awareness A few hardy pioneers are finding innovative ways to help people in permanent vegetative state or minimally concious state. Their technology of choice is deep-brain stimulation (DBS). The method has been much in the public eye as a way to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Electrodes are implanted into a region just below the thalamus, the quail-egg-shaped structure in the center of the brain. When the electric current is turned on, the rigor and tremors of this movement disorder disappear instantly. Read the entire article at: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=reviving-consciousness