What happens in the brain on the brink of death? One person’s last words might be lucid, revealing deep-seated thoughts and emotions. Another person might be brought to intensive care and never awaken. Electroencephalograms of dying patients record surprising activity in portions of the brain that control vision and memory. Death is not a discrete event in which all cerebral processes abruptly cease but a complex transition, whose many mysteries neuroscientists are beginning to unravel.

Interweaving the powerful stories of patients with accessible explanations of neuroscience, The Brain at Twilight illuminates consciousness, mortality, and the critical decisions that define our final moments. Tarvez Tucker—a neurologist with decades of experience treating patients with critical brain illnesses and injuries—takes readers inside the world of neurological intensive care. She shares insights into the structure and functions of the brain as well as the social and emotional complexities of end-of-life care. Tucker also explores zones of partial consciousness, such as vegetative and minimally conscious states, which challenge preconceptions about what being alive truly means.

Showing how neuroscience is providing new insights into the last moments of life, this book is for all readers interested in the brain, near-death experiences, and the social and medical meanings of death and dying.

Tarvez Tucker, MD, is a professor of neurology and neurocritical care and an intensive care physician at Oregon Health and Science University. She has been at the bedside of thousands of patients, hearing their last thoughts as they approach—or defy—death. Tucker is a recipient of the American Academy of Neurology Award for Creative Expression of Human Values in Neurology.