Coma Dreams?

[Psyclops]

Dear Psychiatrists,

With a new Sopronos episode on the horizon, I was hoping you could answer a question for me. In your infinite medical wisdoms do you know anything about coma dreams? Do those who emerge from comas report remembering any dreams? The Sopranos depicts Tony as having elaborate dream sequences. As far as you all know is this plausable?

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[Anasazi23]

In psychiatry's youth, it was not uncommon for psychiatrists to analyze dreams had while their patient was unconscious during insulin coma therapy. It is documented that hypoactive deliriums, which rarely result in short-lived comas, incorporate "memories" while in this state. I think the answer to this question depends on the degree of unconsciousness, as the term "coma" is falling out of favor in neurology. They would rather speak in more quantifiable terms of 'level of arousal.' i.e. responds to verbal stimuli, physical pain, etc, vs. locked-in-syndrome, etc.

Anecdotally, patients do speak of dreaming while in coma, and often confuse real-life events as dreams. An example would be "I had a dream that the Space shuttle blew up." This is an incorporated long-term memory that was processed on some level while unconscious.

I don't watch the Sopranos, but from how you describe it, and depending on how bad Tony's injury is, and where it is (RAS vs other subcortical structures) I don't suppose it's out of the realm of possibility.

 

[Psyclops]

Thanks, it seemed plausible. My first reaction to your post was to explain the patient's history, like, actually it was a gun shot to the abdomen, etc. Then I remembered it was just a show.

 

[50960]

Psyclops if you reveal any more of what is going on this season with the Sopranos I will personally put a hit out on you......... I am one of those who waits for the DVDs. Anyhow, of course people dream with low GCS scores of every etiology.......basic neuroscience predicts that!!

 

[Psyclops]

Alright PsiSci, I'll try and not be any more of a rat, but wait for DVDs?!?!?! Are you kidding me?!!!!?? Just get a Tivo if need be. As the owner of many a season's box set, I understand the guilty pleasure of whiling an afternoon/day/weekend watching episode after episode. But the true experience involves the torture of waiting for each weeks episode.

While we are on the topic, I think the show lost alot as it steered away from his regular meetings with Dr. melfi. I would have him continue to tell much of the stories through her. Granted it got more complicated, but it was a groundbreaking setup.

About basic NS, fair enough, I just wanted to know if anyone had any annecdotal evidence.