Comatose patients are conscious - Ask to die or stay alive?

[starlord]

well, on the bright side, this info could potentially help find treatments.

[Theodon]

I'm not so certain that people in the condition shown in the OP would be the same as healthy people simply lying there, doing nothing, for months and years. Due to the lack of activity in the brain, the passage of time would likely seem blurred and detatched, and boredom might not be an extreme issue for someone with that level of brain activity. If the person was in pain or otherwise uncomfortable due to other external factors, then perhaps euthanasia might be something they choose (if they're given the choice)

I guess it would be very difficult to find out what it would be like as the memory centre of the brain is probably not active at all in that state, so the only way to know would be to ask the person after they recover, but chances are only mere fragments of the experience will survive due to none of it going to memory.

[caractacus]

What I want to know is, if this is true why don't comatose patients that do wake up recall their experience? If they truly are conscious that's enough to turn anyone who can remember all those years into a psychopath.

This is the part I don't understand and it brings into question what consciousness truly is. Just because his brain can answer questions does this mean he has the same conscious level as an active awake human.

[Hyve]

I think that to be waiting 12 years in a Coma is a very excessive example, and to be cold-hearted and critical it is also a waste of Money, Time & Life. His Family & Friends can't move on with their lives fully, knowing that maybe any moment he may come out of the Coma. Putting that on your family is pretty rough, and selfish in my view. While he hasn't made the call obviously, I think that the family should let go.

Now, personally I would follow what I said above. Give me 3 months to recover. If after 3 months there has been no significant increase in brain activity, no significant increase in responsiveness and all tests reveal nothing much has changed, I'd rather they just pulled the plug and left me to die. I'd want my Family & Friends to move on with their lives, not linger on for years to potential false hope.

I also wouldn't want to waste NHS Funding & Time by being a constant drain. Seems pointless to exist, only to function and not live.

[semaphore]

@maconi: no one's suggesting that all patients in coma are fully conscious though. Perhaps 43% has minimal activity, in which case I'd think only some of that is conscious enough to be able to answer questions. Also, people have recovered from locked in syndromes without becoming a psychopath, like Kate Allat and Richard Marsh.

This is the part I don't understand and it brings into question what consciousness truly is.

Not really. Consciousness is the result of the interconnected operations of the various parts of the brain. Being able to answer questions demonstrate a substantial level of consciousness, though perhaps the brain is damaged in some way that alters its normal functioning.

[frogger237]

If I could remember my ideas and share them with the world, like a machine hooked up to me that translates my brainwaves and can write down what I want it to, then I would stay alive.(I know there isn't anything like this yet)

If I couldn't then Id probably want to die. Just imagine how hard it would be to adjust to being 85 when you went into your coma at 30. That and you would be so laughably terrible at picking up women(as you missed 40-55 years of culture and are several decades older than you were before going into your coma) you'd probably be alone for the rest of your life unless you buy a hooker. You would also probably be trying to pick up 25-35 year olds when 99.9999% of the women that would be willing to sleep with you is 75-95.

[caractacus]

@maconi: no one's suggesting that all patients in coma are fully conscious though. Perhaps 43% has minimal activity, in which case I'd think only some of that is conscious enough to be able to answer questions. Also, people have recovered from locked in syndromes without becoming a psychopath, like Kate Allat and Richard Marsh.


Not really. Consciousness is the result of the interconnected operations of the various parts of the brain. Being able to answer questions demonstrate a substantial level of consciousness, though perhaps the brain is damaged in some way that alters its normal functioning.

Firstly there is a difference between locked in syndrome and being in a coma. Secondly a computer can answer questions so does that have a substantial level of consciousness?

[bekilrwale]

Sounds like a tortured existence to me. I would wait as long as I could, but it probably wouldn't be too long.

[LilSaihah]

I would ask them to plug me into a gigantic robot so I can go to war! For Aiur!

I dunno, I'd probably ask them whether my recovery is likely. Alternatively, see if they can connect me to Second Life so I can ERP for all eternity.

[fizzbob]

the people in my family who were in comas for at least a year both said it was like a dream and they don't remember anything, said it was like the wrecks happened and then they were awake a long time after

until they can even define what kind of comas each coma is, or if it's a coma, there is no way you can make laws that give those people decisions
medicine likes to call EVERYTHING something even when they don't know what it is.

[DeltrusDisc]

depends will i be able to tell them to put on jesse cox and crendor videos and can i watch doctor who all the time? i mean if im kept entertained i probably wouldnt mind it that much plus cyborgs.

^You just gave me some hope. I wonder if this guy can actually see, or does he hear? Would certainly make it easier, but still the inability to move or really DO anything, would drive me insane...

[Santti]

Being trapped like that is the worst thing that could happen to you in my opinion. I'd choose death for sure.

[Auloria]

I'd choose to live. I'd still be able to experience my surroundings, listen to radio, current events, books on tape, movies. I could still learn and think and daydream.

We've come leaps and bounds as far as understanding the brain. I think we'll see more sophisticated technology as far as being able to communicate with the brain directly in our lifetime.

On the other hand, it's kind of creepy that they are reading your mind.

[Sunseeker]

It's really a good thing for people to create "Living Wills" just for these sorts of situations. I personally would not want to be in a vegetative state for a few months, much less over a decade! I think I'd probably set a timetable of 3-4 years, which I seem to recall reading somewhere is right around the limit of if a person will ever come out of a coma(there are outliers, but they are rare), and if I didn't recover for them to off me. I wouldn't want to be a burden on my loved ones for that long, much less trapped in my own mind.

[Deleted]

Can you even imagine being trapped in your own body ?! Its worse than solitary confinement in jail. Imagine day to day you can't do shit besides starring at a wall. Now do this for 12 years.

I seriously question that guy's sanity after all this time.

[Shadowmelded]

Sadly, assisted dying laws are super strict. Iirc only Washington and Oregon have legalized it. You'd have to refuse treatment for a while and effectively starve yourself to death, not pleasant at all.

[Sam the Wiser]

If I'm not awake after 1 month pull the plug.

[BoysBoysBoys]

Just like abortion euthanasia laws will loosen eventually. It'll just take time.

And 12 years of being 'awake' and in a hospital bed sounds awfully boring. ❤

[Deleted]

I'd try it out for sure. Maybe you get the chance to develop some pretty keen senses like super imagination , telepathy and telekinesis xD
Nah Just trolling, probably ask them to end it as fast as possible.

[This name sucks]

So we've just made a pretty massive leap in understanding what a coma actually is. Scientists and medical doctors actually don't have a real definition of death.

We come to new conclusions like this on a regular basis now even if its not directly related to what the article is about. For all we know we might have brain wave readers that let people in comas, paralyzed etc etc communicate through their brains in 15-20 years.

Now being a vegetable staring at a wall for that long with no guarantee of released isn't exactly all that pleasing of an idea.