Brain death

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Brain death is the permanent, irreversible, and complete loss of brain function, which may include cessation of involuntary activity (e.g., breathing) necessary to sustain life. It differs from persistent vegetative state, in which the person is alive and some autonomic functions remain. It is also distinct from comas as long as some brain and bodily activity and function remain, and it is also not the same as the condition locked-in syndrome. A differential diagnosis can medically distinguish these differing conditions. In humans, brain death is physiologically irreversible, and therefore establishing brain death is the most certain metric by which humans can be considered to have died. Brain death is used as an indicator of legal death in many jurisdictions, but it is defined inconsistently and often confused by the public. Various parts of the brain may keep functioning when others do not anymore, bringing questions about whether they should truly be considered dead. The term "brain...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Dr Eric Grossi MD Neurosurgiao BH, CC BY-SA 4.0