Brain signals have been detected in a patient whose heart had stopped beating for 10 minutes.

While medically declared as dead, scientists have revealed signals of brain activity were picked up in the patient.

The extraordinary research, carried out by scientists at the University of Western Ohio, suggests the organ may continue to work after someone has died.

In three out of four cases studied, the brain stopped functioning before the heart.

But in once case, the brain continued to emit signals up to ten minutes after their final heart beat.

Published in the National Centre for Biochemistry Information , researchers said: "In one patient, single delta wave bursts persisted following cessation of both the cardiac rhythm and arterial blood pressure."

The team also discovered variations in each patient's brain activity, suggesting we all experience death in different ways.