Detecting Awareness in the Vegetative State

20061,946 citationsJournal Articlegreen Open Access

Authors

Adrian M. Owen · Medical Research Council

Martin R. Coleman · Medical Research Council

Mélanie Boly · Medical Research Council

Matthew H. Davis · MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

Steven Laureys · Medical Research Council

John D. Pickard · Medical Research Council

Abstract

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate preserved conscious awareness in a patient fulfilling the criteria for a diagnosis of vegetative state. When asked to imagine playing tennis or moving around her home, the patient activated predicted cortical areas in a manner indistinguishable from that of healthy volunteers.

Topics & Keywords

Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments Traumatic Brain Injury Research Functional Brain Connectivity Studies

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Zero hunger

Publication Details

Published in: Science

Volume 313, Issue 5792, pp. 1402-1402

DOI: 10.1126/science.1130197

Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 38.17