JITOTM44: Jolting the Thalamus

Stimulus and response: one of life's most elementary relationships. Response, or lack of response to stimuli is one way modern medicine determines someone's condition, especially when it comes to severe brain injury.

Now, the application of a special kind of stimulus may hold promise for some people in states of prolonged unconsciousness or partial consciousness. It seems that in one man's case, at least, applying electric current to the thalamus - a walnut-sized region near the centre of the brain - led to a significant improvement in his minimally conscious state.

He's regained a vocabulary of basic words, and is engaging with loved ones and even playing cards. All from a little zap to the thalamus? So it would seem... and that raises some weird and wonderful questions about the possibilities for others in similar states.

Listen along as we speculate on the implications in the latest episode of JITOTM, Jolting the Thalamus.