We present recovery observations of the parent of the Leonid meteor stream – comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle using the Keck II telescope. At recovery, the comet was at r = 4.5 AU, with m R = 22.6, and there was no indication of coma or activity. Pre-and post-recovery observations from 6 observing runs (1994–1997 June) are presented. From these measurements we estimate that the nucleus radius is R N = 1...

BACKGROUND Delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPHL) is a demyelinating syndrome characterized by neurological relapse after an initial recovery from hypoxic brain injury. We describe a patient with impaired consciousness following DPHL, concurrent with injury of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) shown using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). CASE PRESENTATION A 50-year...

We report a case with therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest where meaningful recovery far exceeded anticipated negative endpoints following cardiac arrest with loss of brainstem reflexes and subsequent status epilepticus. This man survived and recovered after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest followed by a 6-week coma with absent motor responses and 5 weeks of burst suppression. Standard...

RATIONALE We report on a stroke patient who showed change of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) concurrent with recovery from a vegetative state (VS) to a minimally conscious state (MCS), which was demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). PATIENT CONCERNS A 59-year-old male patient underwent CT-guided stereotactic drainage 3 times for management of intracerebral hemo...

OBJECTIVE To determine how soap operas portray, and possibly misrepresent, the likelihood of recovery for patients in coma. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Nine soap operas in the United States reviewed between 1 January 1995 and 15 May 2005. SUBJECTS 64 characters who experienced a period of unconsciousness lasting at least 24 hours. Their final status at the end of the follow...

Progress in intensive care has increased the number of patients who survive severe acute brain injury. Nevertheless, whereas some patients recover quickly, others take more time and pass through different states of altered consciousness (coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state) before recovering a normal state of conscious awareness. Still other patients will remain in a more permanen...

OBJECTIVE Among survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), the functional outcomes of those with rapid early or with very delayed recoveries are known. For patients between those extremes early recovery is variable, and the probability of longer-term recovery and the implications for quality of life have not been clearly defined. METHODS Twenty-five patients of a consecutive cohort o...