A Review of the Evidence for the Effectiveness of Sensory Stimulation Treatment for Coma and Vegetative States

Abstract

This paper reviews fourteen studies that evaluate the efficacy of sensory stimulation treatment for patients in coma and vegetative states. The studies are divided according to whether they use outcome statistics, behaviour change, or physiological measures as their means of evaluation. There is also a review of the methodological considerations incumbent in research in this area. The authors conclude that sensory stimulation can alter behaviour in the unconscious patient and can reduce the duration of acute coma, and that further research is certainly warranted for economic as well as humanitarian reasons. © 1993 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Limited