One in Five Vegetative Patients May be Conscious

LivelineDipso

I have always wondered about this. This has such far reaching implications. Just the simple YES/NO ability could be used to determine if the person wants the right to die or not - rather than long drawn out ethical implications between families and other legal/ethical issues.



http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1113/vegetative-crash-victim-uses-thoughts-to-communicate.html

Mr Routley suffered traumatic brain injuries when his car was in collision with a police vehicle. Until Prof Owen's intervention, he was assumed to have been in a vegetative state for more than 12 years.
Vegetative state patients are not aware of their surroundings or capable of conscious thought.
Neurologist Professor Bryan Young, from University Hospital in London, Ontario, who has cared for Mr Routley for ten years, said the scan results overturned all previous assessments of the injured man's condition.
"He had the clinical picture of a typical vegetative patient - no emotional response, no fixation or following with his eyes," said Prof Young. "He didn't have any spontaneous movements that looked meaningful and I was quite impressed and amazed that he was able to show these cognitive responses with fMRI."
Prof Owen has previously shown that nearly one in five vegetative patients may in fact be conscious.

frag420

I thought you said One in five vegetative patients may be couscous!!

Mmmmm tasty people!!

It's my greatest fear in life since I read the story about the Belgian guy.. I don't think there's any suffering that comes close. And since it's only possible to keep comatose patients alive nowadays, I'd say the Belgian guy has suffered more than anyone else in history.

admiralofthefleet

i read it as 'one in five vegatarians may have a concsience'

poeticseraphim

LivelineDipso wrote: »

I have always wondered about this. This has such far reaching implications. Just the simple YES/NO ability could be used to determine if the person wants the right to die or not - rather than long drawn out ethical implications between families and other legal/ethical issues.



http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1113/vegetative-crash-victim-uses-thoughts-to-communicate.html

Great that new technology can be more precise.

The one in five thing is old news though from a while back..


To be honest if i was trapped in my body unable to communicate ....i might still want the plug pulled...

poeticseraphim

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

i read it as 'one in five vegatarians may have a concsience'

LOL

Halloran springs

LivelineDipso wrote: »

I have always wondered about this. This has such far reaching implications. Just the simple YES/NO ability could be used to determine if the person wants the right to die or not - rather than long drawn out ethical implications between families and other legal/ethical issues.



http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1113/vegetative-crash-victim-uses-thoughts-to-communicate.html

Interesting topic, don't think AH is correct forum for any kind of mature discussion on the matter though. 6 posts in and already 2 pathetic attempts at humour desperately seeking "thanks" from others.

EdenHazard

Might be my biggest fear. Watched a documentary about someone who was locked in for so many years, not quite sure how many but maybe more than 20. Horrifying.

flutterflye

I skimmed over the title and though it read one in five vegetables may be conscious! ha!

Oh there was a film about this - what was it?
Was very sad anyway.

whatdoicare

If it was me, I'd want the plug pulled. No way I'd want to be imprisoned in my own body for years. I don't really understand why they keep patients with no brain activity alive anyway.... It seems cruel.

Micky Dolenz

Halloran springs wrote: »

Interesting topic, don't think AH is correct forum for any kind of mature discussion on the matter though. 6 posts in and already 2 pathetic attempts at humour desperately seeking "thanks" from others.

Could be worse in fairness.

What's the hardest part of a vegetable to eat?

The wheelchair

Shryke

Plenty of conscious people seem pretty vegetative too.

Ellis Dee

flutterflye wrote: »

I skimmed over the title and though it read one in five vegetables may be conscious! ha!

Oh there was a film about this - what was it?
Was very sad anyway.

Maybe it was "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". Even the blood was ketchup.:):)

It wasn't all that sad, though.:D:D


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_of_the_Killer_Tomatoes

flutterflye

Aha! It was "Awakenings".
It was driving me mad trying to remember! I liked that film.
Also "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" - that was good film too.

tuxy

ONE in five?
It's like that song by Metallica

Halloran springs

flutterflye wrote: »

Aha! It was "Awakenings".
It was driving me mad trying to remember! I liked that film.
Also "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" - that was good film too.

"Johnny got his gun" is another, quite difficult viewing though.

flutterflye

Halloran springs wrote: »

"Johnny got his gun" is another, quite difficult viewing though.

Oh that's been in my watchlist for ages now - must watch it

Why do they keep people who are said to be clinically brain dead, alive? What purpose does it serve?.

God I can't imagine anything worse than being of sound mind but stuck inside a lifeless body