Drugs that boost brain dopamine levels, along with deep electrical stimulation and focused ultrasound, have been discussed as potential ways to help a person emerge from a coma. This overview draws on insights shared by LifeScience and UCLA psychology professor Martin Monti.
A coma is a critical condition in which an individual remains unconscious and does not respond to external stimuli. It can result from brain injury caused by inflammation, stroke, or infection. In such cases, the brain sustains damage that disrupts normal signaling and communication across neural networks.
Professor Monti explains that for a person to leave a coma, the brain must either repair damaged neurons or expand the functioning of surrounding networks so they can assume the duties of the impaired regions. Yet restoring physical connections inside the brain is challenging because coma often involves reduced overall brain activity and disrupted communication between regions.
One avenue discussed is amantadine, a medication believed to elevate dopamine in the brain. Dopamine serves as a key neurotransmitter that helps coordinate signals across brain networks and plays a crucial role in motor control, attention, and arousal.
A second approach is deep brain stimulation, a surgical technique that places electrodes deep within the brain to deliver electrical impulses to targeted neurons. Such stimulation commonly focuses on the thalamus, a central hub that influences alertness and the brain’s ability to maintain wakefulness.
According to Monti, recent work suggests that increased neuronal activity can also be induced without surgery through focused ultrasound, which can modulate brain activity noninvasively.
Experts note that these recovery strategies appear most effective when the brain’s broader structure remains intact. Researchers acknowledge that much remains unknown about why some patients regain consciousness spontaneously and quickly, while others do not, and no single factor reliably predicts the moment of recovery.
Earlier statements from some scientists speculated about extraordinary possibilities, such as head transplants, but such ideas lack empirical support and have not informed current clinical practice. The field continues to seek reliable biomarkers and rehabilitation protocols that can guide treatment and improve outcomes for individuals emerging from coma.