Alternating “Waking” and “Sleep” EEG Patterns in a Deeply Comatose Patient

INTRODUCTION It is now well-known that comatose patients with pathological lesions of the pons may have EEGs with background activity resembling alpha rhythms of wakefulness (1-5) and also that some comatose patients may show normally appearing sleep rhythms (6, 7). We have carefully studied one particular patient who clearly displayed both types of activity alternating at different times; both neurophysiological and practical implications arise from the activity recorded on this patient.

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