Sleeping pill may rouse coma patients

I recently read an article in New Scientist on Zolpidem, a drug primarily used to treat insomnia. In 2000, Ralf Clauss and his research group accidently discovered that the drug temporarily restored partial consciousness and suggested that it could be used to restart activity within dormant brain cells. They began drug trials on three patients who had been in a permanent vegetative state – have regular functions but not detectable awareness - for about three years. They were given daily doses of Zolpidem for up to 6 years and were assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale - there are 15 points on the scale. Generally 8 points or less indicates a severe brain injury whilst 13 points or more is considered a mild brain injury.

It’s suggested that Zolpidem works by activating GABA receptors in brain and so reawakening dormant brain cells. All three patients in the study showed an improvement via an increase in points on the Glasgow scale, however experts do point out that the patients in the study may not have been in a true vegetative state to begin with – a misdiagnosis. Further misdiagnosis cases are explained in paper 2, whilst paper 1 describes the full results of the Zolpidem drug trial.

Paper 1 – Clauss R, Wally N. Drug induced arousal from the permanent vegetative state. Neuro Rehabilitation. 2006. 21(1): pages 23 – 28.

Paper 2 – Andrews K, Murphy L, Mundy R, Littlewood Clare. Misdiagnosis of the vegetative state: retrospective study in a rehabilitation unit. British Medical Journal. 1996. 31: pages 13 – 16.

Despite some limitations, the study results do look promising. The next step would be to use larger patient groups and see whether the results produced are of any statistical significance. I’ve seen quite a few people eventually lose loved ones after waiting and praying that the individual will awaken from their current comatose state – very few actually do. So fingers crossed that this trial will yield some promising results.