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One in five patients believed to be in a vegetative state could be conscious and locked in unresponsive bodies, experts have warned.
A group of scientists have criticised guidelines for their care in hospitals and nursing homes, arguing they fail to recommend using brain-scanning technologies to detect consciousness.
They predict thousands of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) – who are thought to have no brain activity – are actually aware of their surroundings.
And they say current guidelines, which have been set by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), are 'indefensible'.
The claims have been made by a neurologist, a neuroscientist and a lawyer-ethicist.
Scientists say thousands who are in a vegetative state are aware of surroundings. Past studies showed MRI scans can detect consciousness in some patients (stock image)
Previous studies have shown that using MRI scans or bedside electroencephalogram – a monitoring tool using electrodes – can detect consciousness in some patients thought to have no awareness of what is going on around them.
Techniques include asking them to visualise people or objects,
