China joins global race to reawaken brain-injury patients through ultrasound therapy
Patient wakes from three-month coma in early clinical trial using non-invasive focused ultrasound waves.
Quick Look
A patient in China has regained speech, eating, and supported walking after three months in a coma, aided by an early clinical trial using targeted ultrasound waves to stimulate the brain.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Focused ultrasound technology is being explored to stimulate deep brain regions without invasive surgery.
After spending three months in a coma following a brain haemorrhage, a patient in China has regained the ability to speak, eat and walk with support – part of an early clinical trial using targeted sound waves to help “wake up” severely damaged brains, according to state media.
The technology, developed by a coalition including the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, used focused ultrasound waves to stimulate regions deep within the brain without requiring invasive surgery or implanted electrodes, state broadcaster CCTV reported earlier this week.
Open Questions
- What is the long-term outlook for the patient?
- How many patients are enrolled in this clinical trial?
