Diseases

Persistent Vegetative State

Vegetative state refers to the neurocognitive status of individuals with severe brain damage, in whom physiologic functions (sleep-wake cycles, autonomic control, and breathing) persist, but awareness (including all cognitive function and emotion) is abolished.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Vegetative state refers to the neurocognitive status of individuals with severe brain damage, in whom physiologic functions (sleep-wake cycles, autonomic control, and breathing) persist, but awareness (including all cognitive function and emotion) is abolished.

MeSH Record

Classification

Related Concepts

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MeSH Record

See Also

MeSH Record

Synonyms

73 entry terms
  • PVS (Persistent Vegetative State)
  • Persistent Unawareness State
  • Vegetative State, Persistent
  • PVSs (Persistent Vegetative State)
  • Persistent Unawareness States
  • Persistent Vegetative States
  • State, Persistent Unawareness
  • State, Persistent Vegetative
  • States, Persistent Unawareness
  • States, Persistent Vegetative
  • Unawareness State, Persistent
  • Unawareness States, Persistent
  • Vegetative States, Persistent
  • Minimally Conscious State
  • Permanent Vegetative State
  • Post-Comatose Unawareness State
  • Post-Traumatic Unawareness State
  • Post-Traumatic Vegetative State
  • Postcomatose Unawareness State
  • Posttraumatic Unawareness State
  • Prolonged Post-Traumatic Unawareness
  • Transient Vegetative State
  • Vegetative State
  • Minimally Conscious States
  • Permanent Vegetative States
  • Post Comatose Unawareness State
  • Post Traumatic Unawareness State
  • Post Traumatic Vegetative State
  • Post-Comatose Unawareness States
  • Post-Traumatic Unawareness States
  • Post-Traumatic Unawareness, Prolonged
  • Post-Traumatic Unawarenesses, Prolonged
  • Post-Traumatic Vegetative States
  • Postcomatose Unawareness States
  • Posttraumatic Unawareness States
  • Prolonged Post Traumatic Unawareness
  • Prolonged Post-Traumatic Unawarenesses
  • State, Minimally Conscious
  • State, Permanent Vegetative
  • State, Post-Comatose Unawareness
  • State, Post-Traumatic Unawareness
  • State, Post-Traumatic Vegetative
  • State, Postcomatose Unawareness
  • State, Posttraumatic Unawareness
  • State, Transient Vegetative
  • State, Vegetative
  • States, Minimally Conscious
  • States, Permanent Vegetative
  • States, Post-Comatose Unawareness
  • States, Post-Traumatic Unawareness
  • States, Post-Traumatic Vegetative
  • States, Postcomatose Unawareness
  • States, Posttraumatic Unawareness
  • States, Transient Vegetative
  • States, Vegetative
  • Transient Vegetative States
  • Unawareness State, Post-Comatose
  • Unawareness State, Post-Traumatic
  • Unawareness State, Postcomatose
  • Unawareness State, Posttraumatic
  • Unawareness States, Post-Comatose
  • Unawareness States, Post-Traumatic
  • Unawareness States, Postcomatose
  • Unawareness States, Posttraumatic
  • Unawareness, Prolonged Post-Traumatic
  • Unawarenesses, Prolonged Post-Traumatic
  • Vegetative State, Permanent
  • Vegetative State, Post-Traumatic
  • Vegetative State, Transient
  • Vegetative States
  • Vegetative States, Permanent
  • Vegetative States, Post-Traumatic
  • Vegetative States, Transient

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

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Indexing Annotation

see also AKINETIC MUTISM

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History Note

1995; VEGETATIVE STATE was see COMA 1980-1994

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Coma (1972-1994)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

WB 182

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Persistent Vegetative State. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D018458. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D018458
  2. Persistent Vegetative State. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetative_state
  3. Persistent Vegetative State. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139720