Locked-in syndrome (
LIS) is a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes.
Total locked-in syndrome is a version of locked-in syndrome wherein the eyes are paralyzed as well.
Fred Plum and
Jerome Posner coined the term for this disorder in 1966. Locked-in syndrome is also known as
cerebromedullospinal disconnection,
de-efferented state,
pseudocoma, and
ventral pontine syndrome.