(Science Daily) – The ability to detect smells predicts recovery and long-term survival in patients who have suffered severe brain injury, a new study has found.
A simple, inexpensive ‘sniff test’ could help doctors to accurately diagnose and determine treatment plans for patients with disorders of consciousness.
Published today in the journal Nature, the study involved brain injured patients showing very minimal or no signs of awareness of the external world.
It found that 100% of patients who reacted to the sniff test went on to regain consciousness, and over 91% of these patients were still alive three and a half years after injury. CONTINUE