Viscero-somatic and viscero-visceral reflexes in brain death

Little is known about spinal visceral reflexes in brain-dead man, although they have been described in experimental animals. In 1983, 25 brain-dead individuals were observed during donor nephrectomy. It was confirmed that some of these donors, without higher centre modulation and not under significant pharmacological influence, had viscero-somatic motor reflexes and viscero-visceral cardiovascular reflexes.