Israel’s Ariel Sharon Shows Signs of Brain Activity, Doctors Say

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in a coma since suffering a brain hemorrhage in 2006, may be unconsciously aware of his surroundings, according to a group of U.S. and Israeli doctors.

During a two-hour test, a team of brain scientists, including Alon Friedman of Ben-Gurion University and Martin Monti of the University of California at Los Angeles, exposed Sharon to stimulation such as pictures of his family and recordings of his son’s voice in an attempt to discern whether his brain could process stimuli. While activity was observed, indicating Sharon was processing the information, there was no evidence he was consciously engaged, they said.