At the Guardian‘s “comment is free” section, Ben Goldacre (author of the great Bad Science blog) shows that this so-called communication lacks all credibility.
I’ve watched at least five or six network news shows featuring this unfortunate patient tapping out messages with the help of a friendly guiding hand. Have any of the mainstream media raised doubts about this form of “communication?” Not that I’m aware of. The networks like feel-good news, not somebody throwing cold water on a doubtful story.
Here’s another essay that references studies of the phenomenon.
I performed a Google search for “Rom Houben facilitated communication hoax” and looked at the first 100 resulting entries for main stream media.
When I found these references I read the article and saw the reference to a hoax was always by someone making a comment and not in the article itself.
FC get the Frontline treatment here:
Prisoners of Silence
Arthur Caplan, the Penn bioethicist, has a skeptical appraisal posted on the MSNBC site:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34132340/ns/health-health_care/
He at first gave a credulous interview to MSNBC to someone who calls herself “dr. Nancy”, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31388323/vp/34111007#34111007 , but later realized the case was dubious.
If you watch the video it’s just staggering that anyone believes the ‘helper’ is feeling tiny muscular movements in Houben’s hand and guiding his hand accordingly – or that he is looking at the keyboard, which he has to do for the whole idea to work.
I would think the story would be to show how some con artists are trying to fool the world, but maybe that’s just me.
Laureys’ own publications must now be reassessed (and reproduced where appropriate) due to his involvement in this scam. I’m betting a case of beer that Laureys is a fraud; the sooner his institution gets an investigation in order the better. Now that would be a great story; yet another fraud in science.