Trapped in Locked-in Syndrome

Locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, renders individuals paralyzed except for the muscles controlling eye movement. Although they are conscious and cognitively intact, they are unable to move or speak. Notable cases include that of Jean-Dominique Bauby, who communicated by blinking his left eyelid. By blinking his eye, he slowly dictated one alphabetic character at a time and, by doing so, was able to write his memoirs (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly).