To be or not to be. Vegetative

Abstract

The vegetative state is a clinical diagnosis first defined by Jennett and Plum in 1972 [1]. It is a diagnosis based on the absence of clinical signs of awareness of self or environment despite preserved arousal. That is, if a patient repeatedly fails to answer to commands and if all observed behavior is considered reflexive, the patient is considered to be unconscious. © 2007 Springer Science + Business Media Inc.