A 38-year old man has become the first person in the United States treated with what doctors are describing as a brain pacemaker. This new device is implanted into the chest of the patient, but rather than sending electronic impulses into the heart, the brain pace maker sends electrical impulses deep into the area of the brain that regulates consciousness.

The man, who wasn’t identified, was in a mostly vegetative state before the procedure after receiving a severe head trauma from being attacked and robbed in 1999. The patient’s family said that prior to the surgery he could occasionally mouth the words "yes" and "no," but communication was random and he couldn’t feed himself.

After the surgery the man now drinks from a cup, can watch movies, as well as recall and speak 16 words. This man is the first of 12 patients who will undergo the treatment as part of a pilot study approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Experts believe about 100,000 to 300,000 patients with traumatic brain injury may be in a minimally conscious state as this man was before surgery and could potentially be helped by the brain pacemaker.

Dr. Ali Rezai says, “He still has got a long way to go, but given where he was, he is dramatically improved.”