A condition in which only the eyes and eyelids can move although the person is fully alert and conscious. It results from severe damage to the brain stem.
This describes a condition in which 4 patient is awake and retains the power of sense perception, but is unable to communicate except by limited eye movements because the motor nervous system is paralyzed. Several diseases can cause this syndrome, which results from interruption of some of the nerve tracts between the mid brain and the pons. Sometimes the syndrome is caused by severe damage to muscles or the nerves enervating them. Locked-in syndrome may sometimes be confused with a persistent vegetative state (PVS).