AUGUST 21, 2006

Da Matta out of intensive care

Cristiano da Matta has now been transferred out of the Intensive Care Unit at the Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wisconsin, and is now in an intermediate care unit. He is still not conscious but continues to making slow progress in terms of responses. This is the first step in the process of rehabilitation that will hopefully enable da Matta to recover although it is fairly clear now that this is going to be a long term process. The question that doctors still need to answer is how much long term damage there is to da Matta's brain and to what extent he can recover.

In most cases the majority of the recovery occurs within the first six months of the injury after which the rate of progress tends to slow although improvements can go on for more than two years, depending on the severity of the damage.