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Taiwanese man awakens from a year-long coma post magnetic stimulation

• By Newsdesk
• Taiwan
• Jun 20, 2023

News

Following several months of treatment with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a person in south Taiwan has awaken from a coma that lasted nearly a year.

Last year, the 29-year-old Tainan City resident suffered severe head trauma in a car accident. He had lost all vital signs when he arrived at the hospital, and despite being successfully resuscitated, he fell into a long coma.

His family did not give up hope and tried a variety of treatments such as hyperbaric medicine, rehabilitation, and traditional Chinese medicine. He was then taken to Tainan City Municipal An-nan Hospital for TMS treatment, which is typically used to treat depression but has shown promise in the treatment of neurologic conditions such as traumatic brain injury.

It is a noninvasive treatment that uses a magnetic coil to stimulate nerve cells in the brain of a patient. The treatment was developed in 1985 and has since been used to treat a wide range of mental health and brain conditions.

According to Chang Chun-hung, director of the psychiatric department at Tainan City Municipal An-nan Hospital, TMS treatment is a non-invasive treatment method. It can stimulate brain nerves without requiring surgery and is primarily used to treat depression, particularly in patients with limited drug efficacy or unacceptable side effects.

According to Chang, research indicates that TMS has potential therapeutic effects on neurological diseases such as brain injury. More clinical research is required in the future to further investigate this modality.

Doctors tried various treatments on the patient for nearly a year, according to Chang, but his Glasgow Coma Scale score was only 8, while the highest score is 15, indicating the person is fully awake. His family kept looking for solutions and scouring the internet for the most recent research. Following a discussion with the An-nan Hospital medical team, the patient's family members decided to combine TMS therapy with the other treatments already in place, which included hyperbaric medicine, rehabilitation, and traditional Chinese medicine.

Chang stated that after about five months of this new regimen, the patient made significant progress, gradually regaining consciousness, and responding to the voices of his family members.

The patient can now not only open his eyes, but also smile, which greatly encouraged his family and medical staff. His family members have chosen to continue treatment with the technology because this indicates a good chance of recovery.

Chang reminded the public that before using TMS for medical treatment, the medical team must conduct a thorough evaluation that is fully discussed with family members. Chang expressed his hope that this new treatment technology will benefit more suitable patients in the future after his experience assisting a patient to regain consciousness.