5.10 Disorders of Consciousness

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts regarding disorders of consciousness, legal cases related to ethical debates on life and death, and recent research techniques used to assess brain activity and consciousness.

Persistent Vegetative State

A condition in which a person shows signs of wakefulness but lacks conscious awareness, often presenting with reflexive movements and a lack of response to verbal prompts.

Terri Schiavo

A case involving a woman who, after severe brain damage, became the center of a contentious legal battle over the right to remove her feeding tube.

Right to Die Movement

A movement advocating for the ethical option of allowing terminally ill patients or those with no hope for recovery to die through assisted suicide.

Right to Life Movement

A movement often guided by religious views advocating that life is precious and should not be ended intentionally.

fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

A neuroimaging procedure that measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow.

PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography)

An imaging test that helps reveal how tissues and organs are functioning by using a radioactive substance.

Motor Cortex

The part of the brain responsible for planning, controlling, and executing voluntary movements.

Hippocampus

A region of the brain associated with memory formation and spatial navigation.

Consciousness

The state of being aware of and able to think about one's own existence, thoughts, and surroundings.

Diagnosis Error Rate

The likelihood that a medical diagnosis is incorrect, which can complicate the classification of disorders of consciousness.