Does subvocalization occur when a person is comatose?
I asked a neurologist friend about this. This is his reply: The question you sent me is a very interesting one. The short answer is “no,” but let’s see if we can’t make it a little more interesting. Basically the comatose state is defined by the subject’s level of responsiveness to her environment. For the sake of the quick bedside assessment, I divide alertness (or responsiveness, or arousal, or level of consciousness/awareness – all the same concept as far as I am concerned) into five broad areas: Hypervigilant: someone is agitated, looking around a lot, paying attention to all features of the surroundings. Often seen in mania or delirium. Alert: The normal waking state. Someone who is asleep but can be awakened and remains awake thereafter is normal. Lethargic: Less alert than normal, but rousable to a normal level of alertness. Will descend into lethargy again if left unstimulated for a time. Obtunded: Less alert than normal, and cannot be roused to a normal level of alertness, but
