Colorado CNA Practice Exam

A person in a coma may still be able to:

1. Hear

2. See

3. Speak

4. Walk

The correct answer is: Hear

A person in a coma can still have the ability to hear, despite being unresponsive and unable to show awareness of their surroundings. Research has shown that individuals in a comatose state may still process auditory stimuli. This implies that they might respond to familiar voices or sounds without showing obvious signs of awareness. In contrast, seeing typically requires some level of consciousness and the ability to engage with visual stimuli, which people in a coma generally lack. Speaking is also not possible since individuals in a coma do not have the necessary cognitive and physical functions to produce speech. Similarly, walking is beyond the capabilities of someone in a coma, as it requires coordinated movement and conscious effort, which is not present in such a state. Thus, the ability to hear remains the most viable option for someone in a coma.