What term is used to describe brainstem injury in a patient who is completely paralyzed except for vertical eye movements?

The term used to describe a condition in which a patient is completely paralyzed except for the ability to make vertical eye movements is known as locked-in syndrome. This neurological condition typically arises from damage to specific areas of the brainstem, particularly the pons, where pathways responsible for voluntary movement are disrupted, while the patient's cognitive functions and awareness remain intact.

In locked-in syndrome, individuals are aware of their surroundings and can think and reason but are unable to move or speak due to paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles. The preserved vertical eye movements become a crucial means of communication, as they allow the patient to signal their awareness and respond to questions or prompts, although this can be quite challenging.

In contrast, other conditions such as coma or vegetative state involve a lack of awareness and responsiveness. Coma is characterized by unresponsiveness and lack of sleep-wake cycles, while a vegetative state includes wakefulness without a clear awareness of the environment. Brain death, on the other hand, is defined as the irreversible loss of all brain function, including the brainstem, which would preclude any form of eye movement. Therefore, locked-in syndrome is the most accurate descriptor for the scenario presented.