Brain dead. The two words are ominous, frightening, final. And often so misunderstood. As a medical diagnosis, brain death is relatively straightforward, determined by standardized tests widely ...

Brain death, also called death by neurological criteria, is the practice of declaring a person dead based on the loss of brain function, rather than the stoppage of the heart and breathing.

Doctors see if the body responds to pain or if certain eye movements can be provoked. There are also brain wave tests that measure the brain's electrical activity.

Certain brain cells are responsible for coordinating smooth, controlled movements of the body. But when those cells are ...

The body will start to shut down slowly." But even after a person is declared dead, movements, sounds, growth, and change can still occur.

A new study recorded brain waves while dying people were resuscitated to see what happens during the out-of-body experiences they later describe.

What is brain death? Though there's a precise definition for the term, it's often misunderstood and misused.