This patient has locked-in syndrome (LIS). LIS presents with complete or near-complete paralysis of voluntary skeletal muscle, with preservation of blinking and vertical gaze. Cognition and consciousness are preserved in LIS, and electroencephalography is normal. One cause of LIS is thrombosis of the proximal and middle segments of the basilar artery, resulting in infarction of the ventral pons. Although cases of spontaneous recovery have been reported, there is no cure for LIS and most patients fail to regain substantive motor function.