Brain death and its cognitive significance

Abstract

Every human being always tried to define death to reach a solution to life, maybe forever. He always faced with such questions: what is death? When can we say somebody died? We have two main approaches in medicine to define death: Cardiopulmonary death, which means the irreversible cessation of the cardiopulmonary system (heart and lungs), and brain death which means the irreversible cessation of brain functions. The second approach promoted by way of using ventilators, which could revive brain death Patients. So brain functions became the most important criterion to define death. Now the question is: if the irreversible cessation of cognitive activities in the brain is the criterion to define death or the irreversible cessation of the cardiopulmonary system? Moreover, if we choose the first, which property or function can be the criterion to define cognitive activity? According to this study's findings, it is concluded that the irreversible cessation of cognitive activities in the brain is the criterion to define death. Accordingly, human beings are trying to find a reason why awareness is the right criterion to define cognitive activity.