In one PET scan study, normal individuals and patients in a persistent vegetative state were administered a mildly painful stimulus. The findings of this study revealed that
A)the normal individuals consciously reported feeling pain, while the vegetative patients did not.
B)only the normal individuals showed brain activity in the midbrain, thalamus, and somatosensory cortex, while the vegetative patients showed none of this activity on the PET scans.
C)both normal and vegetative patients showed activity in their frontal cortical regions on the PET scans.
D)all of these occurred.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Normal individuals have the ability to consciously report their experiences, including pain, due to the functioning of their brain's communication pathways. Patients in a persistent vegetative state, however, lack this capacity because their higher brain functions are severely impaired, even though some basic brain functions might still be active.

In One PET Scan Study, Normal Individuals and Patients in a Persistent