Sensory stimulation in prolonged coma: four single case studies.

Patients diagnosed as being in prolonged coma (vegetative state) in this hospital are routinely treated according to a sensory stimulation protocol. This paper reports an evaluation of the efficacy of this procedure using the comparison of behavioural measures taken immediately prior to and post-stimulation. Four single cases produced significant behavioural changes suggesting increased arousal as a result of stimulation. The results and implications for further evaluation studies are discussed.