What are the lasting effects of a comatose state to the brain?
What are the lasting effects of a comatose state to the brain?
In some cases a person can descend into a persistent vegetative state, where the brain has lost its higher functions (including consciousness, self-awareness and personality) but retains involuntary functions such as breathing and swallowing, heart rate and blood pressure.
What part of the brain is still alive in a patient who is in a persistent vegetative state?
A vegetative state occurs when the cerebrum (the part of the brain that controls thought and behavior) no longer functions, but the hypothalamus and brain stem (the parts of the brain that control vital functions, such as sleep cycles, body temperature, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, and consciousness) continue …
Does a coma affect your brain?
Someone who is in a coma is unconscious and has minimal brain activity. They’re alive but can’t be woken up and show no signs of awareness. The person’s eyes will be closed and they’ll appear to be unresponsive to their environment.
Do comatose patients show brain activity?
Research using electroencephalograph (EEG) revealed 15% of patients in coma showed brain activity patterns similar to healthy study participants, despite their non-responsive condition.
What part of the brain is damaged if you are in a coma?
Comas are caused by damage to the brain, specifically the diffused bilateral cerebral hemisphere cortexor the reticular activating system. This area of the brain controls arousal and awareness. Damage here can result from many potential factors.
What is the difference between brain dead and vegetative state?
The difference between brain death and a vegetative state, which can happen after extensive brain damage, is that it’s possible to recover from a vegetative state, but brain death is permanent. Someone in a vegetative state still has a functioning brain stem, which means: some form of consciousness may exist.
What are the chances of surviving a coma?
Within six hours of coma onset those patients who show eye opening have almost a one in five chance of achieving a good recovery whereas those who do not have a one in 10 chance. Those who show no motor response have a 3% chance of making a good recovery whereas those who show flexion have a better than 15% chance.
Can someone in a coma hear you?
Can Your Loved One Hear You. During a coma, the individual is unconscious, meaning they are unable to respond to any sounds. However, the brain may still be able to pick up on sounds from loved ones. In fact, some studies suggest talking and touching a loved one while they are in a coma may help them recover.
What’s the difference between brain dead and comatose?
Depending on their level of consciousness, patients are considered to be comatose, in a minimally conscious state, in a persistent vegetative state, or brain dead. In the first three situations, these states can dictate treatment as well as how to prepare family members for decisions regarding the patient’s prognosis and quality of life.
What is the difference between a coma and a persistent vegetative state?
A coma, sometimes also called persistent vegetative state, is a profound or deep state of unconsciousness. Persistent vegetative state is not brain-death. An individual in a state of coma is alive but unable to move or respond to his or her environment.
What’s the prognosis for someone in a coma?
Prognosis. A coma rarely lasts more than 2 to 4 weeks. Some patients may regain a degree of awareness after persistent vegetative state. Others may remain in that state for years or even decades. The most common cause of death for someone in a persistent vegetative state is infection, such as pneumonia.
What does it mean when someone is in a coma?
Persistent vegetative state is not brain-death. An individual in a state of coma is alive but unable to move or respond to his or her environment. Coma may occur as a complication of an underlying illness, or as a result of injuries, such as head trauma.