ArticleNeurology2008
Media coverage of the persistent vegetative state and end-of-life decision-making.
Article in Neurology, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 64 citations in OpenAlex.
- Limitation of life sustaining therapy in disorders of consciousness: ethics and practice.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2024Review
- Neuroethics across the Disorders of Consciousness Care Continuum.Seminars in neurology · 2022Review
- Consciousness and Personhood in Medical Care.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2018Article
- Coma recovery scale-r: variability in the disorder of consciousness.BMC neurology · 2015Article
- New Kid on the Block Turns Ten! The Brief, Remarkable History of the National Physicians Alliance.The Permanente journal · 2015Article
- Physicians' attitudes toward medical and ethical challenges for patients in the vegetative state: comparing Canadian and German perspectives in a vignette survey.BMC neurology · 2014Article
- Visual pursuit response in the severe disorder of consciousness: modulation by the central autonomic system and a predictive model.BMC neurology · 2013Article
- Knowledge of Partial Awareness in Disorders of Consciousness: Implications for Ethical Evaluations?Neuroethics · 2013Article
- Vegetative versus minimally conscious states: a study using TMS-EEG, sensory and event-related potentials.PloS one · 2013Article
- Reporting consciousness in coma: media framing of neuro-scientific research, hope, and the response of families with relatives in vegetative and minimally conscious states.JOMEC journal : journalism, media and cultural studies · 2013Article
- Prevalence of formal accusations of murder and euthanasia against physicians.Journal of palliative medicine · 2012Article
- From unresponsive wakefulness to minimally conscious PLUS and functional locked-in syndromes: recent advances in our understanding of disorders of consciousness.Journal of neurology · 2011Review
- Neuroethics and fMRI: mapping a fledgling relationship.PloS one · 2011Article
- Quality of reporting on the vegetative state in Italian newspapers. The case of Eluana Englaro.PloS one · 2011Article
- Neurotalk: improving the communication of neuroscience research.Nature reviews. Neuroscience · 2010Review
- The saga of Eluana Englaro: another tragedy feeding the media.Intensive care medicine · 2009Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundConflicting perspectives about the diagnosis and prognosis of the persistent vegetative state (PVS) as well as end-of-life (EOL) decision-making were disseminated in the Terri Schiavo case. This study examined print media coverage of these features of the case.
methodsWe retrieved print media coverage of the Schiavo case from the LexisNexis Academic database and used content analysis to examine headlines and text of articles describing Schiavo's neurologic condition, behavioral repertoire, prognosis, and withdrawal of life support. The accuracy of claims about PVS was assessed.
resultsOur search yielded 1,141 relevant articles published (1990-2005) in the four most prolific American newspapers for this case. The most frequent headline themes featured legal (31%), EOL (25%), and political (22%) aspects of the case. Of the articles analyzed, 21% reported that Schiavo "might improve" and 7% that she "might recover." Statements explicitly denying the PVS diagnosis were found in 6% of articles. Explanations of PVS and other chronic disorders of consciousness were rare (<or=1%). Most frequently cited descriptions of behaviors were that the patient responds (10%), reacts (9%), is incapacitated (6%), smiles (5%), and laughs (5%). Withdrawal of life support was described as murder in 9% of articles.
conclusionsMedia coverage included refutations of the persistent vegetative state (PVS) diagnosis, attributed behaviors inconsistent with PVS, and used charged language to describe end of life decision-making. Strategies are needed to achieve better internal agreement within the professional community and effective communication with patient communities, families, the media, and stakeholders.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.