Kyungsan University scientists find blink reflex predicts death within 24 hours
Updated
Updated · news.inbox.eu · Apr 30
Kyungsan University scientists find blink reflex predicts death within 24 hours
6 articles · Updated · news.inbox.eu · Apr 30
In a BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care study, South Korean researchers analysed 665 hospice observations in terminal cancer patients and found absent corneal reflexes raised 24-hour death odds 5.48-fold.
About 70.7% of patients without the reflex died within a day, and the rate reached 71.2% when combined with deep sedation scores on the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale.
Researchers say the test could help doctors plan end-of-life care and families prepare farewells, but experts caution the small study needs validation alongside other markers such as cyanosis, oxygen levels and blood pressure.
If a blink test can predict a loved one's final 24 hours, is that knowledge a gift or a burden?
As science pinpoints the moment of death, are we losing the human art of dying?
Breakthrough Study: Corneal Reflex Test Accurately Foretells Death Within One Day in Hospice Care
Overview
In February 2026, Dr. Jung Hun Kang's study revealed that the absence of the corneal reflex—a simple bedside test involving touching the cornea—predicts death within 24 hours in terminally ill cancer patients with 95% accuracy. This reflex loss signals brainstem dysfunction, which controls vital life functions and leads to imminent death. While the test is highly specific and useful for guiding family counseling and hospice care, it has moderate sensitivity and limited validation beyond cancer patients. Future research aims to confirm its reliability across broader populations and integrate it into multi-factor prognostic models, with AI expected to enhance its clinical use and adoption in coming years.