Teresa is a 21-year-old female who was involved in a motor vehicle accident. She was ejected from her truck upon impact with another vehicle and suffered a significant brain injury. Her GCS in the field was E4-V6-M2 that improved to E4-V6-M3 upon admission to the emergency room. Currently, Teresa demonstrates appropriate behavior in response to environmental stimuli (e.g., will move head toward a source of sound), but arousal is inconsistent. She also attempts to utter sounds during her periods of arousal though her speech is unintelligible. She can move all four extremities, but is inconsistent upon command.

1. Which of the following states is Teresa most likely to be in?

a. Coma

b. Minimally conscious state

c. Persistent vegetative state

d. Locked-in syndrome

2. Explain why you picked the answer you did.

3. Do you think Teresa is aware of herself and her surroundings?