title: [Life with Locked-In syndrome].
abstract: The Locked-In Syndrome (LIS) is classically caused by an anterior pontine vascular lesion and characterized by quadriplegia and anarthria with preserved consciousness and intellectual functioning. We here review the definition, etiologies, diagnosis and prognosis of LIS patients and briefly discuss the few studies on their quality of life and the challenging end-of-life decisions that can be encountered. Some clinicians may consider that LIS is worse than being in a vegetative or in a minimally conscious state. However, preliminary data from chronic LIS survivors show a surprisingly preserved self-scored quality of life and requests of treatment withdrawal or euthanasia, though not absent, are infrequent.
authors.affiliation: Coma Science Group, Centre de Recherches du Cyclotron, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pellas
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bernheim
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ledoux
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demertzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Majerus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanhaudenhuyse
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blandin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boly
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boveroux
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moonen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laureys
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schnakers
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000175:diagnosis; D011788:Quality of Life