Table 1 Comparison of clinical features associated with vegetative state and minimally conscious state[3, 4]
Condition | Vegetative State (VS) | Minimally Conscious State (MCS) |
|---|---|---|
Awareness | Absent | Present |
Sleep wake Cycle | Present | Present |
Response to stimuli | Inconsistent | Present |
Motor function | No purposeful movement | Some consistent or inconsistent verbal or purposeful motor behaviour |
Auditory Function | Brief orienting to sound | Localizes to sound location |
Visual Function | Brief visual fixation | Sustained visual fixation and pursuit |
Communication | None | Inconsistent, but intelligible verbalization or gesture |
Emotion | None | Smiling or crying |
Respiratory function | Typically preserved | Typically Preserved |
EEG Activity | Typically slow wave activity | Insufficient data |
Cerebral metabolism | Severely reduced | Insufficient data |
Variable | Variable | |
Prognosis | If permanent (>12 months of VS) then continued vegetative state or death |