A strong response to certain smells could help doctors determine the best treatment for patients in comas, vegetative states, or minimally conscious states, conditions collectively known as disorders of consciousness (DoC).
, were tried in the experiments, while electroencephalogram scans were used to monitor brain activity.Indeed, three months later, of the 16 patients who responded to odors, 10 had recovered consciousness. That compares to just 2 out of the 12 patients from the group where there was no response to the olfactory stimuli.
"Theta connectivity may be a neural correlation with olfactory consciousness in patients with DoC, which could help in the assessment of consciousness and contribute to therapeutic strategies,"Our olfactory systems work differently from other senses in not involving the thalamus part of the brain, a sort of relay station linked to consciousness. Smells have a more direct connection to the forebrain, which might be helpful in this context, the researchers say.
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