If you are you in a vegetative state, is it correct to say ALL the person's cerebral areas were DAMAGED?

Question

I hate people who say innacurate things, and even more when they are convinced that they know what they are saying.

For example, I've had a relative who used to say with all conviction that children always inherited their father's blood type, or that people only died when the heart stopped and not when the brain died, among other nonsense.

So, please help me not to be one of those people.

My aunt had a stroke, and lost all her mental and motor skills.
She lies on bed all day, she doesn't move and although she opens her eyes she doesn't recognize anybody.
She can't eat on her own, and she wears diapers.
She has been living like this for 6 years.

So, am I correct to say that all her cerebral functions were damaged?
Or, does cerebral activity only stop when the person dies?

(You can complete this with any information that you find pertinent).

Answer 1

It is incorrect to say that. The vegetative state results from widespread and bilateral damage to the cerebral cortex itself, the thalamus or many of the intra- and subcortical connections with white matter. The damage could be within the cerebral cortex only, or with diffuse damage to the subcortical white matter only and one with diffuse damage to each thalamus only.

Answer 2

Some of her cerebral functions are damaged, not all. Activity stops at death. She's like she's sleeping, not dead but may want to be.