Locked-In Syndrome

What is locked-in syndrome?

Locked-in syndrome is a rare disorder of the nervous system. People with locked-in syndrome are:

• Paralyzed except for the muscles that control eye movement
• Conscious (aware) and can think and reason, but cannot move or speak; although they may be able to communicate with blinking eye movements

Locked-in syndrome may result from:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Diseases of the circulatory system
• Diseases that destroy the myelin sheath (a protective covering that surrounds nerve cells)
• A medication overdose