Reconsidering brain death: A lesson from Japan's fifteen years of experience

Hasting Center Report

Volumn 31, Issue 4, 2001, Pages 41-46

  Morioka, Masahiro ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; ATTITUDE TO DEATH; BIOETHICS; BRAIN DEATH; DEATH AND EUTHANASIA; DONOR; HEALTH CARE POLICY; HUMAN; JAPAN; LEGAL APPROACH; LEGAL ASPECT; ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION; PATIENT PARTICIPATION; TRANSPLANTATION;

DEATH AND EUTHANASIA; LEGAL APPROACH;

ATTITUDE TO DEATH; BIOETHICS; BRAIN DEATH; HEALTH POLICY; HUMANS; JAPAN; ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION; PATIENT PARTICIPATION; TISSUE AND ORGAN HARVESTING; TISSUE DONORS;

EID: 0037750244     PISSN: 00930334     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2307/3527955     Document Type: Article

References (29)

1. R.D. Truog, "Is It Time to Abandon Brain Death?" Hastings Center Report 27, no. 1 (1997): 29-37.
2. S.J. Youngner et al., eds., The Definition of Death: Contemporary Controversies (Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999).
3. R.M. Veatch, "The Conscience Clause," in The Definition of Death: Contemporary Controversies, ed. S.J. Younger et al. (Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999), pp. 137-60, at 140.
4. M. Potts, P.A. Byrne, and R.G. Nilges eds., Beyond Brain Death: The Case against Brain Based Criteria for Human Death (Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000).
5. Veatch listed only one article concerning Japan, which published in 1991.
6. R.S. Olick, "Brain Death, Religious Freedom, and Public Policy. New Jersey's Landmark Legislative Initiative," Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 1, no. 4 (1991): 275-88, at 285.
7. M. Makajima, Invisible Death (Mienai Shi) (Bungei Shunju, 1985).
8. T. Tachibana, Brain Death (Noshi) (Chuo Koron Sha, 1986.)
9. M. Nakajima, Brain Death and Organ Transplantation Law (Noshi to Zoki Ishoku Ho) (Bunshun Shinsho, 2000).
10. A.M. Capron, "The Bifurcated Legal Standard for Determining Death" in The Definition of Death, ed. Younger et al., pp.117-36.
11. L.A. Siminoff and A.B. Bloch, "American Attitudes and Beliefs about Brain Death," in The Definition of Death, ed. Younger et al., pp. 183-93.
12. 〈http://www8.cao.go.jp/survey/ zouki/index.html〉.
13. The full text of Machine's Proposal is provided on the webpage: 〈http://member.nifty.ne.jp/lifestudies/ishokuho.htm〉. The information on the ongoing revision process is provided by the web site of the International Network for Life Studies, 〈www.lifestudiesnetwork.com/〉
14. M. Morioka, "Give Children Opportunities to Express their Opinions on Brain Death and Transplantation by Donor Cards (Kodomo nimo Dona Kado niyoru Iesu No no Ishihyoji no Michi o)," Ronza, March-April (2000): 200-09. M. Morioka, "Protect the Donors Prior Declaration Principle (Zoki Ishoku Ho, Honnin no Ishihyoji Gensoku wa Kenji seyo)" Sekai, October (2000): 129-37. The full texts are provided on the webpage: 〈http://member.nifty.ne.jp/lifestudies/ishokuho.htm〉.
15. The English translation of the Morioka and Sugimoto proposal is provided on the web page: 〈http://www.lifestudiesnetwork.com/〉. In the case of children, "prior consent of persons in parental authority" must be written down "in advance" on a donor card.
16. Y.T. Nishimori, "A Proposal for the Revision of Organ Transplantation Law Based on the Anti-brain-death Argument (Noshi Hiteiron ni motozuku Zoki Ishoku Ho Kaiseian ni tsuite)," Gendai Bunmeigaku Kenkyu 3 (2000): 139-79. 〈www.kinokopress.com/civil/ 0302.htm〉.
17. Y. Watanabe, "Brain Death and Cardiac Transplantation," in Beyond Brain Death, ed. Potts et al., pp. 171-90.
18. A.H. Ropper, "Unusual Spontaneous Movements in Brain-dead Patients," Neurology 34 (1984): 1089-92.
19. J. Marti-Fabregas et al., "Decerebrate-like Posturing with Mechanical Ventilation in Brain Death," Neurology 54 (2000): 224.
20. D.A. Shewmon, "Chronic 'Brain Death,'" Neurology 51 (1998): 1538-45.
21. K. Higashi et al. reported on a sixty-one-year-old woman who was in a vegetative state for three years before gradually recovering from it. She finally regained the ability to read a newspaper and write her name skillfully. K. Higashi et al., "Five-year Follow-up Study of Patients with Persistent Vegetative State," Journal of Neurology, Neurositrgery, and Psychiatry 44 (1981): 552-54.
22. See also W.F.M. Arts et al., "Unexpected Improvement after Prolonged Posttraumatic Vegetative State," Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 48 (1985): 1300-03.
23. M. Morioka, Brain Dead Person: From the Viewpoint of Life Studies (Noshi no Hito) (Hozokan, 1989, 2000) 〈www.lifestudiesnetwork.com/ braindeadperson00.html〉;
24. Y. Komatsu, Death Resonates (Shi wa Kyomei suru) (Keiso Shobo, 1996).
25. See ref. 14, Morioka, "Give Children Opportunities to Express their Opinions."
26. Cf. M. Morioka, "Bioethics and Japanese Culture," Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 5 (1995): 87-90. 〈http://www.lifestudiesnetwork.com/ japanese.html〉;
27. M. Lock, "On Dying Twice: Culture, Technology and the Determination of Death," in Living and Working with New Medical Technologies, ed. M. Lock et al. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000), pp. 233-62.
28. See ref. 11, Siminoff and Bloch, "American Attitudes and Beliefs about Brain Death."
29. K. Nakayama, "Anti-brain-death Arguments in die United States and Germany (Amerika oyobi Doitsu no Noshi Hite-iron)," Horitsu Jiho 72, no. 9 (2000): 54-59.