Detecting awareness in the vegetative state.
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.
Owen
Adrian M
AM
Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge CB2 2EF, UK. adrian.owen@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
Coleman
Martin R
MR
Boly
Melanie
M
Davis
Matthew H
MH
Laureys
Steven
S
Pickard
John D
JD
D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003243:Consciousness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018458:Persistent Vegetative State / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*