This left 70 videos, with views ranging from 7103 to 79,956. Next, a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the 46 ‘patient’ videos. Some ‘patient’ videos belonged to a ‘channel’. For example, six of the videos analyzed belonged to a highly viewed channel created by one patient. In cases like this, we analyzed the entire channel in order to contextualize the videos. Constant

comparison coding that focused on what patients said as well as how they said it was used. For each video we noted key emergent themes, transcribed portions of the video as relevant, and read the comments posted by viewers. The videos adopted an overwhelmingly positive stance towards CCSVI (67/70: 96%); 66% (46/70) were uploaded by patients, most of which presented pre- and/or post-treatment experiences (30/46: 65%). Of the remaining videos, almost half were news reports (11/24: 45%). Within our sample a Canadian documentary produced in 2009 Talazoparib had been uploaded eight

times and translated into several languages (Italian, Polish, and Czech). This video contained interviews with patients as well as with Zamboni; in our sample it had been viewed 150,666 times across its postings. Thus, in the context of CCSVI YouTube is not only used to share personal experiences but, as evidenced by the popularity of this and other videos, these experiences are located in relation to other YouTube videos that reinforce their primarily positive message. We found that ‘patient’ videos could be broken down into GSK-3 phosphorylation three sub-types. The first, ‘commercial patient experience’ videos, focused on individual patients, but were produced by a third party for promotional purposes. The second, ‘personal treatment evidence’ videos, focused on the ‘liberation’ procedure and had one or two pre/post videos directly linked to treatment. The third, ‘experiential video diaries’, belonged to a YouTube Alanine-glyoxylate transaminase channel where patients produced diaries about living with MS and/or CCSVI. In what follows we focus on this qualitative

analysis, but situate it in relation to our wider analysis. These ‘patient’ videos are a rich source of information and can be analyzed in a number of ways. Our focus is on how ‘evidence’ is presented and discussed for or against CCSVI and the ‘liberation’ procedure. Many of the most highly viewed CCSVI-related videos presented people’s experiences pre and post the ‘liberation’ procedure. Patients not only described their symptoms and improvements, but also demonstrated them, performing physical tests to the camera before and after treatment. Walking and mobility changes were quantified visually, with patients’ stepping up and down, jumping, tying shoe laces, walking with and without canes. Pre-treatment and post-treatment videos were frequently filmed in the same place, with the same obstacles (e.g. stairs, benches, foyer of house), aiding the viewer in making a direct comparison.