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comment by blimpy
blimpy  ·  4835 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Locked-in syndrome: rare survivor Richard Marsh recounts his ordeal

Perhaps his blinking response was involuntary at first. Could be that after several days he managed to control it.





mk  ·  4835 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I honestly don't think that's possible.

b_b  ·  4835 days ago  ·  link  ·  

No? People often regain use of limbs days or weeks after a stroke or traumatic brain injury. Eyelids? Why not?

mk  ·  4835 days ago  ·  link  ·  

In those cases their limbs are paralyzed and they don't move. This guy was blinking. I suppose eyelids could be paralyzed, but I would assume they wouldn't move then.

blimpy  ·  4823 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Is it possible that blinking is an automatic response but that controlling your blinking for the sake of communication exists on some other level? breathing and speaking are similar functions but are controlled differently, right?