Since his skull was implanted with electrodes to stimulate a deep-lying and undamaged part of his brain, he has improved so dramatically that he can now feed himself, brush his hair and recognize and talk to his parents and doctors. The transformation achieved by the deep brain stimulation (DBS) technique, which is already used to treat Parkinson's disease and some neurological disorder (like Tourrett's Syndrome), has raised hopes that it could offer a way back to consciousness for many people with similarly serious brain damage.