A patient who does not have the capability of emotional response, cognition, or willful activity, yet responds to some stimuli, such as light and noise, and has periods of sleep and wakefulness, is considered to be:

The patient is considered to be in persistent to vegetative state. A person who is in a vegetative state is likely to have his or her response to be absent and that there is a presence of overwhelming dysfunction in terms of the individual’s awareness.