Right median nerve electrical stimulation to hasten awakening from coma

Electrical stimulation of the right median nerve may hasten the awakening o f closed head injured, comatose patients. A series of 25 comatose patients have been treated. These patients made better recoveries than similar indiv iduals reported in the literature. In a double-blind pilot project patients in the treated group scored better on interval Glasgow Coma Scale scores, spent fewer days in the intensive care unit, and showed better Glasgow Outc ome Scores at 1 month post-injury. Peripheral electrical stimulation of the right median nerve, through activation of the ascending reticular activati ng system, may be sufficient to arouse the moderate to severely comatose pa tient.