You are a physician working with patients who have been diagnosed as being in a vegetative state. If you present these patients with various types of auditory stimuli, you would likely find that
A) none of the patients ever demonstrated any ERP activity due to their lack of consciousness.
B) some patients produce ERP activity in response to the auditory stimuli of their names.
C) some patients produce a variety of strong and distinct ERP activation when presented with action words.
D) it is impossible to determine if any of the patients retain any cognitive abilities.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that some patients in a vegetative state can produce ERP activity in response to their name being called, indicating some level of cognitive function and awareness. While some patients may also produce ERP activity in response to other types of auditory stimuli, such as action words, this is not consistently observed. It is important to note that the presence of ERP activity does not necessarily indicate a high level of cognitive ability, but rather a basic level of perception and recognition.

You Are a Physician Working with Patients Who Have Been