This seems like something our doctors would need to do to prove that our locked-in patients are still all there. Before they start talking about harvesting organs when you die.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=140968&CultureCode=en
A functional brain imaging technique known as positron emission
tomography (PET) is a promising tool for determining which severely
brain damaged individuals in vegetative states have the potential to
recover consciousness, according to new research published in The Lancet.
It is the first time that researchers have tested the diagnostic
accuracy of functional brain imaging techniques in clinical practice.
“Our findings suggest that PET imaging can reveal cognitive processes
that aren't visible through traditional bedside tests, and could
substantially complement standard behavioural assessments to identify
unresponsive or “vegetative” patients who have the potential for
long-term recovery", says study leader Professor Steven Laureys from the
University of Liége in Belgium.*
In severely brain-damaged individuals, judging the level of
consciousness has proved challenging. Traditionally, bedside clinical
examinations have been used to decide whether patients are in a
minimally conscious state (MCS), in which there is some evidence of
awareness and response to stimuli, or are in a vegetative state (VS)
also known as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, where there is neither,
and the chance of recovery is much lower. But up to 40% of patients are
misdiagnosed using these examinations.
More at link.
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