system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What prevents people in a coma from waking up?

Probably a very stupid question but I can’t wrap my head around it. For instance if someone had head trauma, why can they not wake up after a few days or so? What is it that keeps them unconscious for such a duration of time with nothing to wake them?

Edit: i’m confused why this got so many upvotes but thanks😁
gpt
A coma is a state of minimal brain function, it's not like being awake or asleep. Neurons that should be firing and signals that should be transmitted aren't, during a coma. This is usually due to some sort of damage.

We use the Glasgow Coma Scale to judge whether someone is in a coma. It measures things like responses to pain and whether someone can open their eyes. A score of 8 or lower indicates someone is officially "in a coma", though the typical "laying in bed totally non responsive" imagery of a coma is usually indicative of a very low score on the Glasgow Coma Scale.

To sum up, a coma is when the brain can't function properly due to damage. This damage can have effects that cause them to not respond to their senses, and unconsciousness.