Is oral feeding compatible with an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome?

ConclusionOral feeding that implies a full and complex oral phase could probably be considered as a sign of consciousness. However, we actually do not know which components are necessary to consider the swallowing conscious as compared to reflex. We also discussed the importance of swallowing assessment and management in all patients with altered state of consciousness.
Source: Journal of Neurology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research