The portrayal of coma in contemporary motion pictures

@article{Wijdicks2006ThePO,
  title={The portrayal of coma in contemporary motion pictures},
  author={Eelco F. M. Wijdicks and Coen Abel Wijdicks},
  journal={Neurology},
  year={2006},
  volume={66},
  pages={1300 - 1303}
}
Background: Coma has been a theme of screenplays in motion pictures, but there is no information about its accuracy. Methods: The authors reviewed 30 movies from 1970 to 2004 with actors depicting prolonged coma. Accurate depiction of comatose patients was defined by appearance, the complexity of care, accurate cause of coma and probability of awakening, and appropriate compassionate discussion between the physician and family members. Twenty-two key scenes from 17 movies were rated for… Expand
View on Publisher
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
35 Citations
Background Citations
5

35 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

Scenes in movement. Movement disorders on film
TLDR
Parkinson's disease is the type of movement disorder that the cinema portrays with greater neurological honesty and in a more dignified manner. Expand
Multiple sclerosis on-screen: from disaster to coping
TLDR
The often life-like portrayal of MS distinguishes these films from the stereotypic representation of other neurological diseases and deserves greater attention from professional neurology. Expand
‘Is she alive? Is she dead?’ Representations of chronic disorders of consciousness in Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma
Depictions of coma have come to dominate literary and filmic texts over the last half century, a phenomenon coinciding with advancements in medical technology that have led to remarkable increases in… Expand
The Portrayal of Tourette Syndrome in Film and Television
TLDR
Fictional movies and television shows gave overall misrepresentations of Tourette Syndrome, with Coprolalia was overrepresented as a tic manifestation, characters were depicted having autism spectrum disorder symptoms rather than TS, and physicians were portrayed as unsympathetic and only focusing on medical therapies. Expand
Lights, camera, scalpel: a lookback at 100 years of plastic surgery on the silver screen
TLDR
The representation of plastic surgery in commercial films that include a character with a link to plastic surgery, either as a patient or surgeon, is evaluated to evaluate the relationship between plastic surgery and its representation on film. Expand
Ethical Challenges in Research: Another Look
  • S. Bird
  • Psychology, Medicine
  • The American journal of bioethics : AJOB
  • 2008
TLDR
In their article, Fins and colleagues (2008) identify three domains in which ethical issues and concerns arise and require attention: clinical translation, consent, and research challenges. Expand
Portrayal Of Persistent Vegetative States In The Media
The New York Times published a plot description of the movie “In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan.” It can be read: “After a serious accident, New Jersey woman Karen Ann Quinlan lapses into an… Expand
Childhood Cancer in the Cinema: How the Celluloid Mirror Reflects Psychosocial Care
TLDR
These films can be used to encourage discussion about how to optimize psychosocial care in pediatric oncology so that such care is not abandoned in actual practice as it is, for entertainment purposes, on the screen. Expand
The historical origins of the vegetative state: Received wisdom and the utility of the text
TLDR
Aristotle’s definition of the “vegetative” in the original Greek is explored and Aristotle is put in conversation with his contemporaries—Plato and the Hippocratics—to better apprehend theories of mind and consciousness in antiquity. Expand
End-of-Life in Disney and Pixar Films: An opportunity for Engaging in Difficult Conversation
TLDR
It is argued Disney and Pixar depictions of EOL and death can provide critical opportunities for discussing death and dying processes with children and adults alike. Expand
...
1
2
3
4
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 14 REFERENCES
Mad scientists, compassionate healers, and greedy egotists: the portrayal of physicians in the movies.
  • G. Flores
  • Medicine
  • Journal of the National Medical Association
  • 2002
Cinematic depictions of physicians potentially can affect public expectations and the patient-physician relationship, but little attention has been devoted to portrayals of physicians in movies. The… Expand
Epilepsy at the movies: possession to presidential assassination
TLDR
This review examines the portrayal of epilepsy, seizures, and non-epileptic attack disorder in 62 movies produced over three-quarters of a century, across four continents, covering nine cinematic genres, finding examples of all of the ancient beliefs about epilepsy. Expand
Clinical pragmatism and the care of brain damaged patients: toward a palliative neuroethics for disorders of consciousness.
  • J. Fins
  • Psychology, Medicine
  • Progress in brain research
  • 2005
TLDR
It is suggested that some of the resistance might be tempered if the needs of patients with severe brain injury are viewed through the prism of palliative care and adopt that field's ethos and methods when caring for and conducting research on individuals withsevere brain damage and disorders of consciousness. Expand
The minimally conscious state and recovery potential: a follow-up study 2 to 5 years after traumatic brain injury.
TLDR
The results highlight the heterogeneity of outcome even after a prolonged duration of MCS after TBI, and suggest that prognostic statements based on length of time a person is in the MCS cannot be made with confidence. Expand
Neurological diagnosis is more than a state of mind: diagnostic clarity and impaired consciousness.
TLDR
A review by Kobylarz and Schiff points toward a future of greater diagnostic precision for states of impaired consciousness with eventual implications for prognosis and treatment of severe brain injury. Expand
Munnabhai M.B.B.S.
  • Sanjai Pai
  • Computer Science
  • BMJ : British Medical Journal
  • 2004
TLDR
A Hindi movie that uses correct medical terminology and real locations—I recognised the anatomy lecture hall of my medical school and cannot express the warm feeling that came over me—is bound to stand out. Expand
Terri Schiavo--a tragedy compounded.
  • T. Quill
  • Medicine
  • The New England journal of medicine
  • 2005
TLDR
This case and the story of Terri Schiavo demonstrate what can happen when a patient becomes more a precedent-setting symbol than a unique human being. Expand
The Depiction of Seizures in Film
TLDR
The purpose was to describe the depiction of epilepsy in English language film. Expand
Science in the movies: Hollywood or bust
Last month, a handful of scientists who have toyed with the idea of writing for the movies were given a masterclass by Tinseltown's finest. Jonathan Knight joined them.
Awakenings: Using a popular movie to teach clinical pharmacology
  • G. Koren
  • Psychology, Medicine
  • Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
  • 1993
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1993) 53, 3–5; doi:10.1038/clpt.1993.2
...
1
2
...