http://mindhacks.com/2008/10/30/a-slight-return-again/ Neuroscience and psychology news and views. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:47:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://mindhacks.com/2008/10/30/a-slight-return-again/#comment-6290 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:40:20 +0000 http://mindhacksblog.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/a-slight-return-again/#comment-6290 Actually, the movement described in the paper is pulling the head forward (chin toward chest) and holding it there. I’m not sure why they were doing that, although perhaps it was during transport of the body.
One common test for brainstem reflexes vs. cortical function, however, is the movement you described: turning the head back and forth looking for fixation of gaze (“doll’s eyes”). That’s a common test while establishing the presence of brain death. I haven’t looked at the paper (and don’t read French) so I’m not sure at what phase of death the movements were seen, but perhaps it was during an exam of this kind.
An instance of Lazarus sign I saw was during an apnea test to establish brain death. The ventilator is shut off, and if there is no spontaneous respiration when the pCO2 rises above 60mmhg, the test is “positive” (consistent with brain death). Anyway, I saw a patient who was apneic, but when the ventilator tube was disconnected for the test he flexed at hips and elbows, which looked like he sat up and reached for the endotracheal tube. This freaked out the respiratory therapist, and he quickly reconnected the ventilator until we figured out what had happened and repeated the test. The patient was in fact brain dead.

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