The Definition of Death According to Neurological Criteria: A Product of Medical Advancement and Reasons for Controversy over Accurate Diagnosis

The concept of when human death occurs had for most of history been determined by criteria for cardiac death, defined as the cessation of a heartbeat and respiration. However, in the mid-1900's, a new definition of death emerged in the form of brain death, characterized by an irreversible cessation of brain and brainstem function.