Coma Arousal and Sensory Stimulation: An Evaluation of the Doman‐Delacato Approach

The idea that sensory stimulation might be employed to “arouse” people in coma is rather intuitive. It is also, unfortunately, an idea without either theoretical or practical merit Despite this, the techniques of “coma arousal” through sensory stimulation are currently taught as a means of bringing children and adults out of coma. This paper examines the theoretical basis of coma as a neuropsychological state, reviews the prognostic indicators for recovery, and considers the scientific evidence for coma arousal. It is concluded that, on the basis of current understanding, the use of coma arousal techniques cannot be justified. 1992 Australian Psychological Societ