Getting these methods right is crucial, as pressure mounts to use them in medical decisions, including whether or not to terminate life support, and in the legal battles that sometimes ensue. There are a number of ongoing legal cases in Canada that involve vegetative or minimally conscious patients and end of life decisions, says Adrian Owen, a neuroscientist at the University of Western Ontario. “I’m absolutely sure fMRI is going to play a role in one or more of these cases in the next 12 months.”