

'Vegetative' patient communicates - equilibrium
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20268044

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martinwnet
Having seen this type of story debunked before, I feel the quotes in the post
title should be around the word "communicates".

I'm not sure how conclusive the evidence is based on the article.

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Nursie
At least this time its brain scans rather than a hopeful relative interpreting
twitches or eye movements.

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martinwnet
It shows more promise, but I have no idea how they manage to get from brain
scans to (quoting the article headline) "[patient] says 'I'm not in pain'".

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Breakthrough
I have a friend who works at the research institute beside the university
hospital, and he told me they basically ask a set of questions, while taking a
series of measurements via the fMRI machine. They then compare the expected
responses with the output from the brain scanner, and can match up the blood
flow rates in different parts of the brain with a "positive" or "negative"
response. They then perform the inquiries multiple times, until they have a
high degree of probability that the questions were answered in a consistent
manner.

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Evbn
It is theoretically possible, but this area has a huge problem wihbfalse
positives and artificial signal boosting. An MRI can read brain activity from
a dead fish bought at the market.

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hnriot
*An MRI can read brain activity from a dead fish bought at the market.

not sure if that is humour or real? If real that's really interesting.
Redefines the idea of a dead fish really.

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jahewson
_But the British neuroscientist Prof Adrian Owen - who led the team at the
Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario - said Mr Routley was
clearly not vegetative._

This article is just another piece of science-sensationalism from the BBC.

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gjm11
You're implying that the headline talks about a vegetative patient but the
article has an expert saying the patient isn't really vegetative?

Not fair. What the article alleges is that Scott Routley's state (1) would
have been classed as "vegetative" according to previously standard criteria
but (2) is shown not to be by the new MRI-based approach that Prof Owen's team
is using.

In other words: that meeting the current diagnostic standards for
vegetativeness (or whatever the right noun is) is, according to new work,
consistent with being conscuious, self-aware and capable of communication
given the right equipment.

If that's true, then the article isn't sensationalistic at all.

Of course it might not be true -- but if you want to convince readers that
it's likely not to be, you'd better give some evidence that actually addresses
the point, which your out-of-context quotation doesn't.

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tehwebguy
A more correct headline might have said, "Previously considered vegetative
patient shows apparent consciousness"

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Evbn
That is what the headline says, in fewer words.

