Statistical properties of normal distribution
Etan Markowitz · JAMA · 1969
To the Editor:— I have some doubts that electroencephalographic tracings always tell the exact truth about the viability of the brain. It seems possible that portions of the recordings obtained after pupillary fixation are due to artifacts. The thought of spurious effects comes to mind after reading about EEGs obtained from cat brain stored for more than a month at below zero temperatures. Recent advances in technology concerning remnant electric effects point in the same direction. Many briefly electrified biological substances display long-lasting electrical "excitability" which persists even after short-circuiting and extended periods of storage. In view of these observations we may wish to reevaluate the present medical consensus that the "flat" EEG is the only reliable proof of brain death and, conversely, that all electrocortical activity is a sign of life. Such study may improve the understanding of the terminal phenomena of life and lessen the extraordinary measures to