New way found to detect awareness in "vegetative" patients

 　　BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Awareness¹ in three vegetative patients were detected in a portable electrode test, a new study shows. If replicated², the method may change standards in treating such patients.

　　The new study, published online in the journal The Lancet Wednesday, was reported to be the first to detect signs of awareness in patients living in the unresponsive state through more accessible electroencephalogram (EEG) machine.

　　The EEG is a portable and more affordable³ technique than Magnetic Resonance⁴ Imaging (MRI) scanner, but it is as effective as the MRI to diagnose patients in the vegetative state, according to the research team led by Damian Cruse and Adrian M. Owen of the University of Western Ontario.

　　In the research test, the team hooked 16 previously⁵ determined⁶ to be vegetative patients to EEG machines and gave simple instructions to them like moving their fingers and toes.

　　The machines show that the patterns in the premotor cortex, the area of the brain that plans and prepares movements, in three of 16 patients were exactly the same as those of healthy volunteers.

　　While the patients were able to follow simple instructions, they were not able to make their own decisions about their state, the researchers said.

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 replicated   

复制( replicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• Later outplant the seedlings in a replicated permanent test plantation. 以后苗木出圃栽植成重复的永久性试验林。
• The phage has replicated and the donor cells have lysed. 噬菌体已复制和给体细胞已发生裂解。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

4 resonance   

n.洪亮；共鸣；共振

参考例句：

• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments.一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。
• The areas under the two resonance envelopes are unequal.两个共振峰下面的面积是不相等的。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。