The article I found is called A Drug That Wakes the Near Dead. It is a long article, but the gist of it is that Ambien, or zolpidem, has had some awakening effects on people who are in vegetative or minimally conscious states. In 2008, Chris Cox was in an A.T.V wreck and was taking Oxycontin for back pain. One day he overdosed and went into a coma, and after paramedics and doctors revived him he survived, but with the help of breathing machines, etc. Since then, he can only focus his eyes for brief periods and twitch his fingers/lips, and 3 years later he's about the same, except now he breathes on his own. His parents have done and sacrificed a lot to try to help him recover. They've tried therapies and treatments and continue muscle therapy daily, but the most promising option may be zolpidem, but they only use it on occasion (they use Ativan instead, which has a similar effect). The article says the first report of zolpidem waking people from their minimal consciousness was in South Africa with a man named Louis Viljoen. The drug allowed him to move his limbs and face muscles, talk, remember things, and think again. After a few hours it would wear off, but after using it every day for a while, the awakenings increased until he didn't need it to get the effects. He has some mental disabilities and needs a wheelchair, so it isn't a complete fix. Only a small percent of people who've taken zolpidem have had this great of an effect. Many who take it can use it daily with no less of an effect, but many, and probably most, see reduced effects after taking it so often. Either way, the drug can "bring people back" briefly.
Depending on how research plays out, this could impact families with vegetative/minimally conscious members in a whole new way. Chris's parents give up a lot of time to tend to him. Families are affected in all sorts of ways by vegetative people. They spend money and time for care, whether it is for a rehab center or if the person stays with them. They deal with a range of emotions, endless insurance battles, and may have find support groups or other kinds of help. A single person's immobility rearranges the rest of their life and the lives of those close to them.
If testing yields a marketable drug that works in the way that zolpidem worked for Viljoen, minimally conscious people and their families could have all sorts of freedom back. They could interact more normally, spend considerably less energy in care, would have less of a struggle, and be much closer to the life they used to have, which I feel is the ultimate goal. With a minimally conscious person, it's hard to know if they are really ok and what they want. A drug that could improve them so much would help the family's general well-being.
An excellent thought to consider!
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