Response to Comments on "Detecting Awareness in the Vegetative State"
Adrian M. Owen, Martin R. Coleman, Melanie Boly, Matthew H. Davis, Steven Laureys, Dietsje Jolles, John D. Pickard
Science March 2, 2007 DOI: 10.1126/science.1135583 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Patient clinically diagnosed as vegetative |
| Keywords | Neuroimaging Minimally conscious state Cognitive psychology Consciousness |
| Citations | 72 |
| Key findings | The patient was likely consciously aware despite a diagnosis of vegetative state. |
Abstract
Additional data, supported by relevant functional neuroimaging literature, confirm that the “normal” patterns of brain activity reported in a patient who was clinically diagnosed as vegetative could not have occurred “automatically” in the absence of conscious awareness. The most parsimonious explanation remains that this patient was consciously aware despite her diagnosis of vegetative state.