Ales Rarus discusses an important discovery: a woman, diagnosed as being in a "persistent vegetative state" responded to verbal instructions to imagine herself playing tennis, as viewed on a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan. Please stop over at Ales Rarus to read this article.
The blog itself should be considered as a daily read — I highly recommend it.
I made a long (unedited…sigh) comment, where I discuss the need for improved diagnostic criteria for PVS, improved training of physicians that must deal with these patients, and the need to do more than a "quick and dirty label slap."
One other thing: virtual reality, as seen in the Matrix and many other science fiction stories, is portrayed as "evil" and "dehumanizing." If this injured woman is aware, a VR connected to her brain may be the only hope she has for a good life. The boredom she must be experiencing might cause extreme psychological trauma in the long run. The thought of it frightens me. Admittedly, I do tend to be an active communication junkie.