A useful reference for both those caring for people in vegetative conditions as well as for those investigating the physiological basis of human consciousness.
The vegetative state - a condition in which someone is awake but unaware with no evidence of a working mind - is both emotive and challenging. This condition and that of someone who gains partial recovery of mental and neurological functions - known as the minimally conscious state - have provoked intense debate and considerable interest amongst scientists, health care professionals, ethicists, philosophers and lawyers. This unique special iss...