locked-in syndrome [ME, loc + Gk, syn, together, dromos, course] , a paralytic condition, caused by bilateral destruction of the medulla oblongata or pons, in which a person may be conscious and alert but unable to communicate except by eye movements or blinking (e.g., pseudocoma). The condition renders the individual unable to speak or move any of the limbs. It is most frequently caused by stroke or central pontine myelinolysis.
