Well, you're the doctor so you instantly know more about his condition than me, so your opinion is more important. But I assumed that he can hold his head up because of his rehabilitation over the past three years, or doesn't it work that way?

Could be, but it's very rare that locked-in persons regain any muscle control. Rehab can train them to be able to communicate with eye movements that are already present despite the injury (eye muscles are usually the only muscle control preserved).

I've seen a couple of guys with locked-in-syndrome and they were completely paralyzed xcept for the eyes and I was told they would remain like that until they perished.

Or what I specifically meant was that even if he is a rare case where he regains some muscle control in parts of his body, it's very unlikely it's due to the three years of rehab, while nothing was seen in the previous 20 years.

Rehab ain't anything magical in a case like this, basically the rehab is just trying to give him motivation to try to move different parts of his body (except for the communcation part, but that's controversial in this particular case).

Slimebeast interesting that it's always the eyes. I wonder if it has any relationship to the fact that during sleep the only active muscles are those controlling the eyes?

I saw The diving bell and the butterfly when it came out at the movies, and own it on dvd. It is one of my favorite movies, incredibly sad and touching. The DP is the guy spielberg uses, which makes the film absolutely gorgeous.

everyone should see it!

Maybe. I don't remember how the voluntary muscles are put out of control during comative states such as sleep, but I think the main reason why the eye muscles are preserved is that their innervation (nerve paths) are anatomically situated a lot higher in the brain stem (or even within the brain itself, I dont remember lol) while all other muscle innervation goes thru paths lower in the brain stem which in locked-in-syndrom has been damaged.

If James Randi says it's bullshit then it's bullshit.

Possible hoax, huh? You know, I never even considered that. I remember the uproar about Terry Schaivo, a few years back. There were so many people with political agendas fighting for her life/death. This story could be used to help the "pro-life" agenda, huh?

Is this guy a human Oiuja (sic?) Board? It would be easy enough to find out.

... o.0 then how come when i wake up my limbs are all over the place and i've drooled all over my pillow?

^^^The comments I could make right now, trashleg.......but I'll be mature.