Vegetative state
Definition
There are several definitions that vary by technical versus layman's usage. There are different legal implications in different countries.
Signs and symptoms
Most PVS patients are unresponsive to external stimuli and their conditions are associated with different levels of consciousness. Some level of consciousness means a person can still respond, in varying degrees, to stimulation. A person in a coma, however, cannot. In addition, PVS patients often open their eyes in response to feeding, which has to be done by others; they are capable of swallowing, whereas patients in a coma subsist with their eyes closed.
Signs and symptoms
Cerebral cortical function (e.g. communication, thinking, purposeful movement, etc.) is lost while brainstem functions (e.g. breathing, maintaining circulation and hemodynamic stability, etc.) are preserved. Non-cognitive upper brainstem functions such as eye-opening, occasional vocalizations (e.g. crying, laughing), maintaining normal sleep patterns, and spontaneous non-purposeful movements often remain intact.
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