China joins global race to reawaken brain-injury patients through ultrasound therapy

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Chinese researchers have reported early promising results, as scientists worldwide explore ways to restore consciousness without invasive surgery

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Minxiao Changin Shenzhen

After spending three months in a coma following a brain haemorrhage, a patient in China has regained the ability to speak, eat and walk with support – part of an early clinical trial using targeted sound waves to help “wake up” severely damaged brains, according to state media.

The technology, developed by a coalition including the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, used focused ultrasound waves to stimulate regions deep within the brain without requiring invasive surgery or implanted electrodes, state broadcaster CCTV reported earlier this week.

It was presented at a brain-computer interface (BCI) industry conference that opened in Shenzhen earlier this month. While public attention around BCIs often centres on controlling computers or robotic limbs, the research showcased efforts to apply such technologies to neurological rehabilitation.

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