For subscribers
The terrifying possibility that an unresponsive patient is ‘still in there’
After brain injury, some patients are no longer able to respond to the world around them. But research on covert consciousness suggests the reality is more complex.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Research on covert consciousness suggests the reality of some patients with brain injury is complex.
PHOTO: PEXELS
Daniela Lamas
Follow topic:
The fourth floor of the long-term care hospital where I sometimes work houses patients with severe brain injuries. When I am called there to consult, I always hesitate before entering the room. Of all the ways that our bodies can fail, brain injuries are some of the most devastating to witness. Some patients moan involuntarily. Others lie still, their eyes open but unresponsive.
As I place my stethoscope on the patient’s chest, often without a word, I reassure myself that at least the patient is unaware. Her personhood is gone. She is “not in there” any longer.
