Doctors treating the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon have said he has improved slightly and now needs only a low dosage of sedatives.
Mr Sharon remains in a critical but stable condition.
He has been in a medically induced coma since his stroke last Wednesday night.
His chief surgeon said it could take months to assess the full extent of the damage Mr Sharon has suffered, but he said his progress so far had defied all expectations.
Israeli and world leaders have been preparing themselves for the end of the Sharon era, fearing his demise would spark new turmoil in a region struggling to find the path to peace after decades of conflict.
A decision on whether his condition permanently incapacitates him as prime minister will be made by Israel's attorney general after doctors have determined the full damage to his brain.
With Mr Sharon in intensive care, his stand-in Ehud Olmert has pledged business as usual.
A poll in Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper found 44% believe Mr Olmert is the most suited to be prime minister, with 23% favouring former leader Benjamin Netanyahu who leads Sharon's old Likud party.
