1. Minimally Conscious State vs Persistent Vegetative State: The Case of Terry (Wallis) vs the Case of Terri (Schiavo) 
Eelco F.M. Wijdicks, MD 
Mayo Clinic Proceedings 
Volume 81, Issue 9, Pages (September 2006)
DOI: /
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2. FIGURE 1
Major categories of outcome after structural cause of coma. (The size of the boxes estimates the frequency of occurrence of each category.) The dotted arrows represent possible transitions. MCS = minimally conscious state; PVS = persistent vegetative state.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings  , DOI: ( / )
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3. FIGURE 2
Terry Wallis (with permission from The New York Times) and Terri Schiavo (with permission from Getty Images) as portrayed in the media. Although the untrained eye may spot differences—Wallis seems to look into the camera—the facial expression is the least valuable feature that distinguishes minimally conscious state from persistent vegetative state. The 2 neurological states can certainly not be distinguished with quickly captured photographs.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings  , DOI: ( / )
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