Michael Schumacher Latest News: F1 World Champion is said to be gradually lifted out of his artificial coma, as confirmed by his management on Thursday. A statement released by Schumacher's manager, Sabine Kehm, said: "Michael's sedation is being reduced in order to allow the start of the waking-up process which may take a long time. For the protection of the family, it was originally agreed by the interested parties to communicate this information only once this process was consolidated."
According to DailyMail, "Schumacher was being kept artificially sedated and his body temperature was lowered to between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius (93.2 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit), to reduce swelling in the brain, reduce its energy consumption and allow it to rest."
Bringing the seven-time Formula 1 Champion out soma is a good sign, said by the experts. 'It means they have probably seen the pressure in his skull reduced,' said Dr. Clemens Pahl, a brain trauma expert at King's College Hospital in London. Experts warned that if Schumacher hasn't recovered enough to wake up on his own, they might need to put him back to coma.
Brain experts said it will be important to define whether Schumacher was conscious of his surroundings and could respond to basic instructions from doctors, like raising his hand. Dr. Anthony Strong, an emeritus chair in neurosurgery at King's College London said 'This is a test to see what his function is like,'. He said that once the sedative wear off, Schumacher's doctors would see if he can respond to mild pain stimulus like pressing the eye brows and if he can breathe on his own. 'Doctors will want to see if he can say 'hello,' if he probe his recollection of events and to see if he can recognize family members and remember his own identity,' Strong said.
According to The Guardian, Schumacher has been at a specialist clinic in Grenoble since hitting his head in a skiing accident at the Meribel resort in the French Alps more than a month ago. He was put into an artificial coma after two emergency operations to reduce the swelling caused by severe brain trauma.
A medical team led by Emmanuel Gay had begun slowly to reduce Schumacher's sedation on Monday and conduct a series of neurological tests, according to French newspaper L'Equipe.
The racing champ had reportedly "responded positively" to the tests so far.
French public prosecutors in Albertville said that investigation had shown that Schumacher had strayed about three to six metres into off-piste territory before his fall. The 45-year-old Racing Champ hit a snow-covered rock, and had been catapulted forward and hit his head on another rock about 3.5 metres further down, his helmet splitting on impact.
