TY - JOUR
T1 - Persistent vegetative state
T2 - An ethical reappraisal
AU - Tarquini, Daniela
AU - Congedo, Maria
AU - Formaglio, Fabio
AU - Gasparini, Maddalena
AU - Marcello, Norina
AU - Porteri, Corinna
AU - Pucci, Eugenio
AU - Zullo, Silvia
AU - Defanti, Carlo A.
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - New knowledge from scientific research on vegetative state (VS) and its consequences in clinical practice are reviewed. The ambiguity of the concept of consciousness and the difficult issue of its moral significance are then examined. The Authors stress the need for longitudinal prognostic studies, the promotion of an expert widespread use of standardized behavioural scales, and recommend that the ethical debate about VS rely upon the widest consensus of the scientific community.
AB - New knowledge from scientific research on vegetative state (VS) and its consequences in clinical practice are reviewed. The ambiguity of the concept of consciousness and the difficult issue of its moral significance are then examined. The Authors stress the need for longitudinal prognostic studies, the promotion of an expert widespread use of standardized behavioural scales, and recommend that the ethical debate about VS rely upon the widest consensus of the scientific community.
KW - Consciousness theories
KW - Disability evaluation
KW - End-of-life treatments
KW - Ethics
KW - Functional neuroimaging
KW - Vegetative state
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863985654&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84863985654&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10072-011-0867-y
DO - 10.1007/s10072-011-0867-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 22131038
AN - SCOPUS:84863985654
VL - 33
SP - 695
EP - 700
JO - Neurological Sciences
JF - Neurological Sciences
SN - 1590-1874
IS - 3
ER -