ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical benefits of early right median nerve electrical stimulation on coma patients following craniocerebral trauma. MethodsCraniocerebral trauma patients with up to two weeks of coma in the years 2005-2011 were involved in the study and were randomly divided into control group (received routine management ) and treatment group (routine management plus right median nerve electrical stimulation).The treatment lasted for a period of more than two weeks.The clinical efficacy of the right median nerve electric stimulation and the conscious status of the patients within six months after craniocerebral trauma were observed.ResultsA total of 456 patients were enrolled in the study,of whom 437 patients completed the treatment course,including 221 patients in the treatment group and 216 in the control group.There was no complication related to electric stimulation during the treatment.Cerebral blood flow (CBF) imaging and brain stem evoked potential (BEP) examination demonstrated significant improvement in the treatment group.A total of 386 patients were followed up for six months postoperatively,which showed that there were 122 patients with regained consciousness,46 in minimally conscious state and 36 in vegetative state in the treatment group (204 patients) and there were 84 patients with regained consciousness,40 in minimally conscious state and 58 in vegetative state in the control group ( 182 patients).The patients in the treatment group showed a higher ratio of regained consciousness and a lower ratio of vegetative state compared with the control group,but the ratio of minimally conscious state showed no statistical difference between two groups. ConclusionsRight median nerve electrical stimulation is a suitable coma awaking means at early stage after craniocerebral trauma.