This paper critically engages ethical issues in the allocation of novel, and potentially costly,
health care resources to patients with disorders of consciousness. First, we review potential …

Pain perception in individuals with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) is still a
matter of debate. Advanced neuroimaging studies suggest some cortical activations even in …

Diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic procedures for patients with prolonged disorders of
consciousness (pDoCs) vary significantly across countries and clinical settings, likely due to …

Covert consciousness is a state of residual awareness following severe brain injury or
neurological disorder that evades routine bedside behavioral detection. Patients with covert …

Advances in the care of severe acute brain injury (SABI) have enabled the survival of
patients in states of diminished consciousness. Recent research has offered an increasingly …

In clinical ethics, there remains a great deal of uncertainty regarding the appropriateness of
attempting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for certain patients. Although the issue …

A growing number of studies show that a significant proportion of patients, who meet the
clinical criteria for the diagnosis of the vegetative state (VS), demonstrate evidence of covert …

In the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, and psychology, the causal relationship between
phenomenal consciousness, mentation, and brain states has always been a matter of …

Pain is an unwanted mental state that is often considered a sufficient ground for moral
status. However, current science and philosophy of mind suggest that pains, like other …

Disorders of consciousness (DOC) continue to profoundly challenge both families and
medical professionals. Once a brain-injured patient has been stabilized, questions turn to …