Appalic Syndrome

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Synonyms

Persistent vegetative state; Unresponsiveness wakefulness syndrome

Definition

Apallic syndrome is an older term that was first replaced by persistent vegetative state. More recently, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) is the proposed nomenclature. The syndrome is a clinical condition describing patients who fail to show voluntary motor responsiveness in the presence of eyes-open wakefulness. Patients show reflexive behavior such as spontaneous breathing, but no signs of awareness of the self or the environment. A thorough clinical evaluation may be required to distinguish between UWS and other conditions, including coma, brain death, and locked-in syndrome.

Cross-References

• Brain Death

• Coma

• Locked-in Syndrome

• Minimally Conscious State

• Minimally Responsive State