In reply
We thank Drs Weisleder and Canavero for their comments. Dr Weisleder asserts that we are mistaken in invoking a distributive justice ethic for an individual patient, and he is correct if that were our intent. Instead, we have long invoked a distributive justice claim for the entire class of patients with disorders of consciousness for work that might elucidate the nature of their injuries and ameliorate their conditions.1-3 These patients have lingered collectively at the margins with a societal neglect syndrome.1-3