There is no doubt that vegetative patients need the appropriate medica
l and nursing procedures as well as family involvement, education and
counselling. Additional structured stimulation programmes are used for
the treatment of coma and vegetative state. The theoretical foundatio
n is derived from animal studies. The relevance of the results for the
rehabilitation of head-injured human patients remains questionable, b
ecause all animal studies involve the use of cerebral lesions differen
t from those found in human head-injured patients. The studies of huma
n sensory stimulation give more an orientation than a definitive state
ment. Very recently, hypotheses concerning sensory regulation have beg
un to be evaluated. Further investigations are required to provide a m
ore definite conclusion.