Hello,
I think trying zolpidem (Ambien) in head injury or stroke patients is the right thing to do because Ambien is a known safe drug whilst the recoveries that we have seen from PVS and severe strokes can be dramatic. The risks involved in trying such a well known medication are extremely small, so that the risk-benefit is highly in favour of patients having a trial. However, we do not yet know the proportion of responders and some responses have been very subtle and so are quite easily masked by the sedative effect, so it is difficult to be optimistic for all patients.
I write to offer you a summary of all the known published reports and the safety aspects in case it would help you make your applications to the IRB etc. Please let me know if it would be useful or if there is anything else I can do.
I must let you know that I am the medic that has been helping the discoverers of this phenomenon to develop it partly because I worked with the company that has the rights to this new usage. I discovered your blog through a Google alert on zolpidem brain damage.
I wish you and your patients good luck
Andrew Sutton MD