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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: August 1, 2017
Brain-Computer Interfaces, Completely Locked-In State in Neurodegenerative Diseases, and End-of-Life Decisions
Christopher Poppe1, Bernice S Elger2,3
1Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistr. 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland. christopher.poppe@unibas.ch.
Abstract:
In the future, policies surrounding end-of-life decisions will be faced with the question of whether competent people in a completely locked-in state should be enabled to make end-of-life decisions via brain-computer interfaces (BCI). This article raises ethical issues with acting through BCIs in the context of these decisions, specifically self-administration requirements within assisted suicide policies. We argue that enabling patients to end their life even once they have entered completely locked-in state might, paradoxically, prolong and uphold their quality of life.
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