http://blog.journals.cambridge.org/...-determination-of-death-after-cardiac-arrest/
In one patient, low-frequency, sporadic EEG activity occurred after the heart stopped beating. In the article, the authors state that because this activity occurred long after the loss of circulation,
this activity is likely an artefact –
that is, it cannot be interpreted or trusted as accurate. EEG monitoring in patients can be subject to false readings due to environmental conditions within the intensive care unit that are not related to the patient’s brain activity. The authors conclude that the recording is a false reading and cannot be assumed to indicate that the brain is still functioning. Furthermore, the patient’s heart had stopped, there was no blood pressure, no breathing, no response to pain stimulus, and no pupil reaction. This fourth case highlighted the uncertainty about the use of this specific EEG method to monitor brain activity during the dying process.
This study did not and cannot draw conclusions about re-defining death or end-of-life. The authors are enthusiastic about the interest in media that this article has generated and look forward to sharing the results of their new study in the near future.