Annie Shapiro (1913–2003) was a Canadian apron shop owner who was in a coma for 29 years because of a massive stroke and suddenly awakened in 1992. Apart from the patients in the true story Awakenings, Shapiro was the longest a person has been in a coma like state and woken up.
Thus some patients can regain awareness after more than four months in a vegetative state, and, although few reach full independence, most can achieve an improved quality of life within the limitations of their disabilities. The recovery period is prolonged and may continue for several years.
Any recovery from a vegetative state is unlikely after 1 month if the cause was anything other than a head injury. If the cause was a head injury, recovery is unlikely after 12 months. However, a few people improve over a period of months or years.
Some people recover from a vegetative state, but it is usually not a complete recovery. The brain damage will likely result in permanent disabilities. Recovery is most likely if the cause of the vegetative state is an injury or a reversible condition such as low blood sugar or a drug overdose.
If a person is in a vegetative state for a long time, it may be considered to be: a continuing vegetative state when it's been longer than 4 weeks. a permanent vegetative state when it's been more than 6 months if caused by a non-traumatic brain injury, or more than 12 months if caused by a traumatic brain injury.
Other studies have shown that up to 20 percent of patients in various vegetative states can hear and respond on at least some level. But at least some of the responses seen could be dismissed as simple reflexes, or at best akin to someone in a dream state responding to stimuli.
Annie Shapiro (1913–2003) was a Canadian apron shop owner who was in a coma for 29 years because of a massive stroke and suddenly awakened in 1992. Apart from the patients in the true story Awakenings, Shapiro was the longest a person has been in a coma like state and woken up.
Someone in a vegetative state still has a functioning brain stem, which means: some form of consciousness may exist. breathing unaided is usually possible. there's a slim chance of recovery because the brain stem's core functions may be unaffected.
Neuropathology and the persistent vegetative state
In their review they proposed three characteristic patterns of brain damage associated with a vegetative state. These patterns involved damage to the cerebral cortex, widespread damage to the white matter of both hemispheres, and damage to the thalamus.
To diagnose a patient as being permanently vegetative is to predict that their loss of capacity for consciousness is irreversible.
When a plant has enough leaves for photosynthesis and roots for anchoring, storage, and uptake of minerals then grazing and mowing management can be considered. The late vegetative stage is a valuable phase for harvesting forage.
The persistent vegetative state was initially described nearly 50 years ago by Bryan Jennett and Fred Plum as “the absence of any adaptive response to the external environment [and] the absence of any evidence of a functioning mind … in a patient who has long periods of wakefulness.” It is estimated to affect 10,000 to ...
Patients in the vegetative state are said to be unaware and to lack the cortical capacity to feel pain (Multi-Society Task Force on PVS, 1994).
Patients in a vegetative state do not respond to what is happening around them and exhibit no signs of conscious awareness. Now research has shown that the brains of patients in a vegetative state emotionally react to photographs of people they know personally as though they recognize them.
Such persons may be able to communicate with, for example, eye blinking. Life expectancy in the persistent VS. Early research8 suggested that life expectancy in this condition was 2-5 years, with survival for 10 years being uncommon. More recent work suggests a somewhat better prognosis for survival.
Patients in a minimally conscious state remain capable of dreaming during their sleep. Summary: Researchers compared the sleep of "vegetative" patients and minimally conscious state patients. The results of their study demonstrate once again the necessity of an adapted and specific medical care for each of these states ...
A person in a persistent vegetative state is unconscious, unaware, and unresponsive. A person can live in this state for years. Brain death, by contrast, is final. Medical technology can keep brain-dead individuals on life support.
There can be many causes of persistent vegetative state, including acute traumatic brain injuries that can occur from falls, car accidents, or assaults. It can also occur as a result of non-traumatic brain injuries, which can involve oxygen deprivation of the brain or a condition that directly attacks brain tissue.
A vegetative state is similar to a coma but isn't the same. People in a vegetative state have recovered enough that they aren't in a coma, but their brain's abilities and activity are still very limited. The potential for recovery from a vegetative state varies widely.
While each condition has its own symptoms, those in a vegetative state have no awareness of the world around them while patients with locked in syndrome are aware of their surroundings, cognitively intact, and can interact with others using eye motions.
The vegetative stage can last for weeks or even months. It ends when plants begin the transition to budding, whether because they have reached their mature size or because the conditions have triggered the start of reproduction.
Their eyes may also randomly wander or track moving objects, and their breathing and heart rate are able to keep their body going without the assistance of machines. Other actions such as swallowing, smiling, and tearing up as well as groaning, grunting, or screaming are all common in vegetative states too.
Vegetative development is commonly divided into two phases—a juvenile and adult phase. However, patterns of heteroblastic variation are often more complex than this.
Patients in a vegetative state show no evidence of awareness of self or environment and cannot interact with other people. Purposeful responses to external stimuli are absent, as are language comprehension and expression.
They're also able to regulate their heartbeat and breathing without assistance. However, a person in a vegetative state doesn't show any meaningful responses, such as following an object with their eyes or responding to voices. They also show no signs of experiencing emotions nor of cognitive function.