Possible mechanisms of "vegetative state".
A scaling of severity degrees of the vegetative state must perhaps consider the remaining as well as the deficient integrating functions from the arousal and cortical systems to an automatically working but partly disconnected part of the "central brain" with no awareness but some wakefulness.
Starmark
J E
JE
Lindgren
S
S
D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D003128:Coma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology