Meeting minds with brain-injured people.

The article reports on a brain-imaging technique developed by University of Milan researcher Marcello Massimini and colleagues in Italy in 2013, allowing researchers to assess various states of consciousness in comatose people. Topics discussed include the potential of such technique to help patients communicate with family members, and the views of Harvard Medical School researcher Joseph Giacino on the study. Also mentioned is a similar technique developed by researchers based in Canada.