Fasciculations in brain death

Abstract

Objectives: Brain death is the colloquial name for human death determined by tests showing irreversible cessation of the clinical functions of the brain. Spontaneous and reflex movements have been described in brain death. The aim of this report is to describe a brain-dead patient with unusual motor movements.

Design and setting: The patient was followed and her motor movements were videotaped.

Patient: We report the presence of extensive and long-lasting fasciculations in a patient who fulfilled the criteria for brain death.

Measurements and main results: We describe and show on videotape a brain-dead patient with rare motor movements.

Conclusion: We suggest that fasciculations outlined in this study has to be accepted as motor symptoms in brain death patients.