23 replies to this topic

[Live Forever]

Ok, so I am not exactly sure it is a Nootropic, but it definitely has to do with a drug used for brain enhancement, so I am posting it in this forum area. Here is a link to an article about a sleeping pill (Zolpidem) that can, according to a study, temporarily revive people in a "permanent" vegetative state to the point where they can have conversations.

One of the patients mentioned had been in a vegetative state for three years (showing no response to touch, unable to talk, etc), but after taking Zolpidem was able to talk to his family and answer questions.

I thought it was quite interesting...

[Shepard]

"An improvement was seen within 20 minutes of taking the drug and wore off after four hours, when the patients restored to their permanent vegetative state."

Now that's a bitch.

[Matt]

ooo that is freaky =/

[Athanasios]

That is pretty cool if you ask me.

[Brainbox]

Amazing how creative people are in using medication for issues they're not primarily designed for. Discovered by accident or deliberately, great finding indeed.

[Live Forever]

"An improvement was seen within 20 minutes of taking the drug and wore off after four hours, when the patients restored to their permanent vegetative state."

Now that's a bitch.

Yea, that is kind of a bitch. I guess they could keep giving it to the patient, or up the dose.

[zoolander]

It would proably take 4 hours to get over how atrophied your muscles were

[DJS]

Reminds of that De Niro movie - Awakenings.

[Brainbox]

Prometheus, you're right...
The point is, however, that some situations could be that devastating that help on short term cannot be expected. Someone in very severe pain for instance…
But for my personal viewpoint, i.e. what I would ask for myself if in such a situation, I completely agree with you.

[kottke]

I would take the four hours i had and devise a plan on getting a gun; Unless, of course i was always in a deep meditative state where i rode shooting stars across the galaxy. Oh and virgins.

Edited by kottke, 26 May 2006 - 11:28 PM.

[Live Forever]

I would take the four hours i had and devise a plan on getting a gun; Unless, of course i was always in a deep meditative state where i rode shooting stars across the galaxy. Oh and virgins.

I don't know about virgins. Especially since it is a dream, and you don't have to worry about STDs, I would want some ladies that knew what they were doing. (ok, that is way vulgur, I apologize, but not really)

[kottke]

(prometheus)
Reading this, euthanasia advocates?

self-inflicted euthanasia

[DJS]

Reading this, euthanasia advocates?

If cost doesn't factor into social policy (ie, human life is "priceless") then vegetative patients should be maitained for that off chance that a reversal is possible.

However, in case of terminal illness, or severe chronic pain, euthanasia should be endorsed by society as a valid option.

------------------------------------

Euthanasia is all about individual rights. Say, hypothetically, that an individual develops some form of neurodegenerative disease and decides that his best bet for preservation of identity is to voluntarily terminate and commence with cryopreservation. Should the state have the right/power to restrict this individual's freedom of action?

[Brainbox]

I agree with you Don. And I would add that a good legal system to protect the patient rights is very essential. In several cases, developing such a legal systems is interpreted as euthanasia being obligatory or something alike.

[Live Forever]

Interesting, I hadn't considered the implications of euthanasia until you guys mentioned it. I suppose it would depend on the level of brain injury (obviously those being revived by drugs would be fine) as to whether cryonic suspension would be viable?

[ajnast4r]

thats awesome... any links to what the guy said about being in that state? ive always been interested in if vegetative people were conscious or not.

[outsider]

Wow now imagine giving it to a healthy person haha

[Shepard]

Wow now imagine giving it to a healthy person  haha

Someone is going to tear that one up.

[jaydfox]

Well, I think euthanasia and cryonics are separate issues and shouldn't be mixed up too much here. There's a very big philosophical difference between euthanasia to end one's life for the purpose of ending one's life, as opposed to "ending one's life" (in the clinical sense) to facilitate cryonics. One deals specifically with whether one should be allowed to commit suicide, something that some people are vehemently against, to the point of being perfectly willing to restrict people's rights over the most sacred possession they have.

On the other hand, allowing "euthanasia" for the purpose of cryonics isn't about legal suicide, it's about allowing someone to choose a medical procedure that's outside the mainstream for the purpose of trying to save one's own life. There's a HUGE moral and ethical difference.

For the record, I support euthanasia, so I'm not just saying this to try to debunk an argument in favor of it. I'm just saying that we need to be clear about the moral and ethical issues here.

[outsider]

Oh, something I just found while looking through my files:

http://www.imminst.o...99&t=385&hl=&s=

PYR [pyritinol] has also shown excellent benefit on the clinical course of victims of traumatic coma (caused by head injury). PYR has both reduced the normal high death rate in such cases, and has rapidly returned coma patients to more or less normal waking consciousness, even when the brain injuries were so severe the patient ultimately died.

[unbreakable]

It seems that Zolpidem might work for symptomatic treatment of several forms of brain damage: Evidence for Zolpidem efficacy in brain damage

There are further reports of the efficacy of zolpidem in brain pathology by other authors. In 1997 Thomas et al reported the recovery from catatonia in patients after zolpidem.6 The drug was also reported to have a beneficial effect in certain Parkinson’s disease patients and in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.7, 8 In a recent case report, a patient with aphasia after stroke managed to speak normally again for the duration of drug action after ingesting 10 mg zolpidem.9 This transient effect could be repeated on a daily base, much as was observed in our own patients. Further recent reports have shown that the drug is effective in relieving symptoms in long standing brain anoxia and in blefarospasm.10, 11

Conclusion

There is increasing evidence for an important role of zolpidem in the treatment of the sequelae of a wide range of brain pathology, based on its reversal of dormant neural tissue after brain damage. A number of brain injured patients may benefit from this treatment, especially those with features of neurodormancy as proven by 99mTc HMPAO Brain SPECT, or a clinical picture that is disproportionate or incongruent to the one that is expected from radiological CT findings.

Edited by unbreakable, 17 June 2006 - 05:07 PM.

[xanadu]

As usual, it's kept quiet and not a peep in the major media. They knew about this in '97 and to this day, most doctors don't know about it let alone the public.