Rome Houben

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Rom Houben is a Belgian coma patient . His condition goes back to a 1983 car accident. His carers claim that contrary to the original medical diagnosis, he was fully conscious from the start. The case was picked up in 2009 by the magazine Der Spiegel and subsequently discussed internationally, especially in the context of the ethical debate about euthanasia . Numerous media showed film recordings on which it should be seen how Houben communicates with the outside world with supported communication (FC) via a keyboard.

background

In 2006, the Belgian diagnosed neurologist Steven Laureys , the locked-in syndrome in Houben. In his opinion, Houben is not only able to perceive, but also able to communicate. Houbens Falls was included in a study (not yet explicitly named) that Laureys first reported on in July 2009 in a medical journal. In this study, Laureys et al. a. claim that over 40 percent of all coma patients are misdiagnosed. The Belgian doctor was then contacted by the German news magazine Der Spiegel , which reported on the study but wanted to illustrate the subject with a “human case”. He then brokered contact with Houben and his family. The coverage of the Spiegel met with great echo in the international media: Houben's fate sparked heated discussions about the reliability of neurological diagnostic methods, about appropriate forms of therapy and care, and about euthanasia .

controversy

Soon after the first reports, there were numerous critics who expressed doubts about the story or individual details. The skeptic James Randi assumes on the basis of the film recordings that the method with which Houben is supposed to communicate is an example of the controversial aided communication . This procedure only gives the impression that the person affected is communicating, in truth the statements come from the auxiliary person. Randi calls the story a "cruel farce" and demands clear evidence that it is really Houben who is communicating, and not his assistant.

The American bioethicist Jacob Appel interprets the case as “wishful thinking” or a “cruel and manipulative hoax” used by conservative forces in PR campaigns against the right to euthanasia.

The bioethicist Arthur Caplan considers the quotations attributed to Houben to be implausible: The clarity of the statements is difficult to understand in a person who has not been able to communicate for 23 years.

For Stephan Brandt, a neurologist at the Charité , the case is “more than unusual”; he thinks it is "likely that it is constructed".

Laureys initially insisted on the correctness of his diagnosis. The Times According he also checks the communication method, in which he showed Houben in the absence of his assistant things that these later had to remember. In an interview with Belgian Standaard , however, he has since revised this and stressed that it had nothing to do with the choice of communication method. He is skeptical of the aided communication itself, some of which “rightly have a bad reputation”. However, he also criticizes those skeptics who criticized the process “solely on the basis of a few video images”: “We want to deal scientifically with the various forms of communication when the time comes. That seems to be the right way to go. ”This check has now been carried out and it has been found that the assistant typed the messages, not Houben. Therefore, according to Laureys, communication with Houben using other methods must now be found.

After another test, Laureys finally admitted that the method of assisted communication did not work and that Houben was not able to communicate. Nevertheless, in his opinion, his state of consciousness is higher than previously assumed.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Example of film recordings from MSNBC
  2. ↑ Caroline Schnakers, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Joseph Giacino, Manfredi Ventura, Melanie Boly, Steve Majerus, Gustave Moonen, Steven Laureys : Diagnostic accuracy of the vegetative and minimally conscious state: Clinical consensus versus standardized neurobehavioral assessment . In: BMC Neurology . 9, 2009, p. 35. doi : 10.1186 / 1471-2377-9-35 .
  3. ^ A b Rom is geen circusnummer , De Standaard
  4. ↑ Manfred Dworschak: "My second birth" in: Der Spiegel 48/2009 (November 23, 2009), pp. 134-137
  5. ↑ Is there something wrong with Rom Houben's coma story? Science blogs
  6. ↑ James Randi: This Cruel Farce has to stop
  7. ^ The Rom Houben Tragedy and the Case for Active Euthanasia , Huffington Post
  8. ^ Reborn Coma Man's Words May Be Bogus , Wired
  9. ↑ Doctors doubt that Rom Houben communicates , Die Welt
  10. ↑ Mystery as coma survivor Rome Houben finds voice at his fingertips , The Times
  11. ↑ Critical consideration: “Rescue for the Buried” , Spiegel Online, February 13, 2010.
  12. ↑ Belgian coma 'writer' Rom Houben can't communicate . BBC News, Jan. February 2010.
personal data
SURNAME Houben, Rome
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Belgian coma patient
DATE OF BIRTH 20th century