Written by authors with over 20 years of experience in the rehabilitation of patients in a persistent vegetative state, this practical text bridges a gap in the specialized literature by providing neurologists, emergency physicians, physiatrists, and internists, as well as therapists, with a new set of tools to make rapid progress in the treatment of these patients whose improvement is wholly dependent upon them. A second equally relevant aspect covered in this book is the relationship of the care-giving physician with the patient's family. Particular attention is given to the approach the physician must take towards family members of the patient lacking mental activity. A third section illustrates the structural and instrumental devices useful in planning and operating a unit specialized in the treatment of patients in the persistent vegetative state, with particular attention given to the rules governing the unit.