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The presence of consciousness in the absence of the cerebral cortex

Hydranencephaly is a rare neurological condition in which the cerebral hemispheres are either absent or severely compromised. It is widely believed that children with hydranencephaly are not conscious; and therefore, are routinely classified into the diagnostic criteria of vegetative state. However, there are several pieces of behavioral evidence clearly indicating the presence of consciousness in such patients. Here, I review these behavioral evidence and argue how misclassification of these patients and assigning them a lack of consciousness have far‐reaching implications in terms of both clinical and theoretical neuroscience. Synapse 62:553–556, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.