183:, has stated that the statements Houben allegedly made through his facilitator seemed unnatural for someone disabled and unable to speak for decades. Through Wouters, Houben is quoted as saying "Now I can communicate and talk via facilitated communication. Not everyone believes in this form of communication. It is a controversial method but, for me, it is vital to life. At last, my views can be heard and my feelings expressed."
25:
200:
wanted to report on his study and was looking for a "human element" to the story: "I knew that Rom and his family were willing to collaborate because they had done so before ." Laureys also criticized some of the negative feedback for "judging the evidence only on the basis of some video footage" and
204:
Laureys later concluded that messages attributed to Houben through
Wouters' facilitation were not coming from Houben. Using a different facilitator, fifteen objects which were shown to Houben over a period of weeks, and Houben was unable to communicate knowledge of any of the objects which had been
171:
argued that there was "little doubt" that Houben's typing was the result of bogus facilitated communication. Video footage showed the "facilitator", Linda
Wouters, holding Houben's hand as his finger is being used to type at a rapid pace, while the subject appears to be slumped over with his eyes
196:, Laureys stated that he was not involved in the choice of communication method and refused to comment on its validity. He stated that he was "a skeptic " and that "the bad reputation of some forms is justified". He also stated that Houben's case was only made public because
186:
Laureys stated that he had verified that the facilitated communication was genuine, by showing Houben objects when the facilitator was not present in the room, and later asking Houben to recall those objects. Novella suggested that
Laureys had not used proper controls.
164:, contend that facilitated communication does not involve actual communication with the disabled, but rather with the people playing the role of the "facilitator". Randi wrote that claims of Houben's facilitated communication amount to a "cruel farce."
153:
1196:
113:
in 2006 with the help of modern brain imaging techniques and equipment. Following this, it was claimed that he could communicate by typing into a keyboard when his right hand was supported by a
329:
But further tests show the man, Rom Houben, was unable to correctly identify simple words and objects presented to him by researchers, his neurologist Steven
Laureys tells NPR's Jon Hamilton.
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Houben's case has been used to question the current methods of diagnosing vegetative state and to arguments against withholding care from such patients. However, some
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shown to him during the facilitator's absence. Novella attributed
Laureys' prior error to likely insufficient experience with facilitated communication.
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102:, a scientifically discredited technique, to communicate, a claim which was disputed by researchers evaluating him. Houben was diagnosed with total
1248:
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believe that the case, if confirmed, may provide stronger arguments for withdrawing or withholding from vegetative patients. Bioethicist
201:
stated that "given time, we will look scientifically into the different ways of communication. For us, this seems to be the proper way."
410:"Diagnostic accuracy of the vegetative and minimally conscious state: Clinical consensus versus standardized neurobehavioral assessment"
377:
746:
67:
916:
34:
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paper in July 2009 without him being named. Houben was only brought to wider public attention after German weekly magazine
1103:
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Caroline
Schnakers, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Joseph Giacino, Manfredi Ventura, Melanie Boly, Steve Majerus, Gustave Moonen,
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have called a "discredited technique", the use of which is "unwarranted and unethical". Skeptics, including
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ran a story on him in
November 2009, which was subsequently picked up by media outlets around the world.
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While Houben was diagnosed with locked-in syndrome in 2006, his case was first reported in a
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has suggested that the case may be either "a matter of wishful thinking", or "a cruel and
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hoax" that would be used by political conservatives in campaigns against the
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For 23 years man thought to be in coma tried to 'scream', and no one heard
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Rom Houben, man in coma for 23 years, was fully conscious, mom says
154:
American
Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
383:
140:
The method used to allegedly communicate with Houben is known as "
659:
Mystery as coma survivor Rom Houben finds voice at his fingertips
245:– 20th-century horse claimed to have been able to do mathematics
735:
45:
18:
345:
Car crash victim trapped in 'coma' for 23 years was conscious
1197:
Greenberg v. Miami
Children's Hospital Research Institute
716:
The Rom Houben
Tragedy and the Case for Active Euthanasia
16:
Belgian man involved in facilitated communication scandal
263:"Paralysed Belgian misdiagnosed as in coma for 23 years"
379:
Video showing facilitated communication with Rom Houben
693:
Communicating with those trapped within their brains
1064:
1020:
904:
819:
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312:"Book-writing man in coma fails communication test"
150:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
83:is a Belgian man believed to be comatose and in a
1135:Moore v. Regents of the University of California
676:Rom is geen circusnummer (Rom is no circus act)
146:Association for Behavior Analysis International
98:Caregivers claimed that Houben was able to use
604:Man in Coma 23 Years – Is He Really Conscious?
747:
635:"Man says emergence from 'coma' like rebirth"
372:
370:
8:
1050:Schloendorff v. Society of New York Hospital
460:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
555:. NBC News. Retrieved on 29 November 2009.
190:In an interview with the Belgian newspaper
1146:Medical Experimentation on Black Americans
754:
740:
732:
595:
593:
511:"Komapatient war 23 Jahre bei Bewusstsein"
339:
337:
48:. Please do not remove this message until
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427:
68:Learn how and when to remove this message
1084:Albert Kligman's dermatology experiments
707:
705:
44:Relevant discussion may be found on the
1141:Surgery to try to improve mental health
691:Manfred Dworschak (13 February 2010). "
617:Belgian coma man was awake for 23 years
529:Manfred Dworschak (23 November 2009). "
473:
471:
386:. Event occurs at 0:12. Archived from
254:
653:
651:
587:". James Randi Educational Foundation.
483:"Reborn coma man's words may be bogus"
453:
305:
303:
301:
633:Associated Press (24 November 2009).
399:
397:
7:
1244:People with traumatic brain injuries
657:David Charter (25 November 2009). "
343:Kate Connolly (23 November 2009). "
674:Filip Salmon (28 November 2009). "
356:Mark Memmott (23 November 2009). "
310:Scott Hensley (17 February 2010).
14:
583:James Randi (25 November 2009). "
91:accident, who was diagnosed with
1239:Medical controversies in Belgium
724:. Retrieved on 29 November 2009.
606:. Retrieved on 29 November 2009.
553:Coherent after coma? Not so sure
287:Raf Casert (23 November 2009). "
87:for 23 years after a near-fatal
23:
1234:People with severe brain damage
917:Betancourt v. Trinitas Hospital
179:, a bioethics professor at the
1249:People with locked-in syndrome
1161:Radioactive iodine experiments
566:Really? This guy is conscious?
564:PZ Myers (24 November 2009). "
1:
1104:Guatemala syphilis experiment
585:This cruel farce has to stop!
1229:20th-century Belgian people
1114:Human radiation experiments
50:conditions to do so are met
1265:
1171:Stanford prison experiment
209:Philosophical perspectives
181:University of Pennsylvania
1073:Abdullahi v. Pfizer, Inc.
924:Commonwealth v. Twitchell
781:Betty and George Coumbias
142:facilitated communication
115:communication facilitator
100:facilitated communication
1191:Willowbrook State School
571:27 November 2009 at the
509:han (21 November 2009).
1186:Tuskegee Syphilis Study
1129:Joseph Gilbert Hamilton
908:parent/patient/guardian
906:Medical opinion against
947:Archie Battersbee case
429:10.1186/1471-2377-9-35
1166:Skid Row Cancer Study
1002:Spiro Nikolouzos case
987:Joseph Maraachli case
714:(24 November 2009).
539:48/2009, pp. 134-137.
531:„Meine zweite Geburt"
362:National Public Radio
317:National Public Radio
1181:Plutonium injections
763:Medical ethics cases
602:(25 November 2009).
551:(24 November 2009).
481:(24 November 2009).
390:on 26 November 2009.
1007:Aruna Shanbaug case
930:Mordechai Dov Brody
721:The Huffington Post
623:. 24 November 2009.
293:The Huffington Post
223:New York University
37:of this article is
1151:Milgram experiment
1094:Deep sleep therapy
1056:Christiane Völling
1037:Gillick competence
347:". guardian.co.uk.
269:. 24 November 2009
104:locked-in syndrome
93:locked-in syndrome
1206:
1205:
957:Tirhas Habtegiris
952:Charlie Gard case
886:Karen Ann Quinlan
806:Piergiorgio Welby
78:
77:
70:
1256:
1032:Ashley Treatment
1022:Informed consent
992:Jahi McMath case
942:Alfie Evans case
936:Lantz v. Coleman
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1124:Jesse Gelsinger
1109:Henrietta Lacks
1060:
1024:
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997:Sarah Murnaghan
977:Ashya King case
967:Sun Hudson case
909:
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866:Vincent Lambert
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791:Giovanni Nuvoli
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1119:J. Marion Sims
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1099:Doctors' Trial
1096:
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1079:Albert Stevens
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811:Jack Kevorkian
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712:Jacob M. Appel
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600:Steven Novella
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516:Spiegel Online
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406:Steven Laureys
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219:Jacob M. Appel
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175:Additionally,
169:Steven Novella
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111:Steven Laureys
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1043:Marion's Case
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982:Jesse Koochin
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891:Terri Schiavo
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549:Arthur Caplan
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488:Wired Science
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177:Arthur Caplan
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147:
144:", which the
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128:BMC Neurology
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1133:
1089:David Reimer
1071:
1048:
1041:
1025:to treatment
1012:David Vetter
961:
934:
922:
915:
861:June Hartley
851:Baby Doe Law
729:
719:
696:
687:
682:. (in Dutch)
680:De Standaard
679:
670:
663:Times Online
662:
638:. Retrieved
628:
620:
611:
579:
560:
544:
534:
525:
519:(in German).
514:
504:
492:. Retrieved
486:
479:Brandon Keim
456:cite journal
419:
413:
388:the original
378:
352:
328:
321:. Retrieved
315:
292:
283:
271:. Retrieved
266:
257:
231:right to die
227:manipulative
215:bioethicists
212:
203:
197:
193:De Standaard
191:
189:
185:
174:
139:
132:
126:
124:
97:
80:
79:
64:
55:
33:
1219:1963 births
841:Paul Brophy
822:Withholding
820:Euthanasia/
697:Der Spiegel
640:24 November
536:Der Spiegel
494:26 February
323:19 February
273:24 November
243:Clever Hans
198:Der Spiegel
166:Neurologist
162:James Randi
134:Der Spiegel
121:Controversy
108:neurologist
106:by Belgian
1213:Categories
962:Rom Houben
846:Carol Carr
836:Tony Bland
786:Dax Cowart
250:References
95:in 2006.
89:automobile
81:Rom Houben
58:April 2023
35:neutrality
1176:Study 329
824:treatment
771:Assisted
382:(video).
46:talk page
1065:Research
569:Archived
448:19622138
408:(2009).
267:BBC News
237:See also
172:closed.
158:PZ Myers
152:and the
39:disputed
773:suicide
621:ninemsn
439:2718857
972:Baby K
876:Baby M
446:
436:
422:: 35.
148:, the
384:MSNBC
642:2009
496:2010
462:link
444:PMID
325:2010
275:2009
160:and
32:The
695:".
678:".
661:".
619:".
533:".
434:PMC
424:doi
360:".
291:".
221:of
1215::
718:.
704:^
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513:.
485:.
470:^
458:}}
454:{{
442:.
432:.
418:.
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420:9
364:.
295:.
277:.
71:)
65:(
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56:(
52:.
42:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.