Research often indicates that individuals typically have closed eyes upon death. This was observed in a 2009 study featured in the Indian Journal of Palliative Care. Researchers documented eyelid conditions in 100 consecutive hospice deaths, finding that 63% had closed eyelids, while 37% had open eyelids at death. The researchers referred to this as bilateral ptosis with partial eye closure, indicating that both eyelids were drooping but not fully closed at death.
The study also considered patients’ health status by comparing those diagnosed with various cancers to those without. They found that incomplete eye closure (both before and after death) was often linked to cancer-related deaths. They noted that central nervous system tumors and liver disease-related brain dysfunction seemed to heighten the likelihood of bilateral ptosis at death. However, are these the sole reasons why some people’s eyes remain open at death?
Open eyelids in cases of brain death
As we approach death and bodily functions decline, many factors can influence eyelid positioning. Experts at Love to Know explain that eye muscles begin to relax, potentially causing eyelids to open, which then stiffen after death. This can lead to the eyelids remaining open. Weakened muscle tone and certain medications may also contribute.
Although rare, some studies indicate that eyelid opening may occur in brain death cases. A 2022 case study in Clinical Neurophysiology Practice detailed a 43-year-old brain-dead woman who showed slow, partial eyelid opening upon painful stimulation. This led to a re-evaluation for other brainstem function signs. While the eyelid opening was deemed a reflex, researchers stressed monitoring cerebral blood flow during such occurrences before confirming brain death.
What the eyes may be able to teach us after death
Interestingly, eyes may continue to provide insights after death. A 2022 study in Nature revealed that scientists restored light-detection activity in the retinas of deceased mice by reviving them with oxygen and maintaining normal pH balance, extending up to three hours post-mortem (via Scripps Research). Similar activity was found in human retinas removed up to five hours after death.
Co-author Dr. Anne Hanneken shared with Scripps Research, “We were essentially able to get the cells to ‘wake up’ and communicate after death.” Dr. Hanneken noted that this breakthrough was the result of years of trial and error, stating, “We spent years getting no light signals from human eyes. Perseverance through failures led to this success, which we believe will transform our understanding of human eyesight.”
