You are correct that neglect can cause the brain to deteriorate ... it's been proven in newborns, sadly. My point is that such neglect wouldn't 'eliminate the albatross quickly enough'.
well...it cannot be proven there were attempts to actively injure Terri through such things as injections of insulin.
I'm not saying it isn't possible...it just cannot be proven.
The issues of neglect and isolation can easily be proven.
On top of that, several times Terri's body was forced to fight off infections without the aid of antibiotics (at Michael's orders) So this also greatly contributed to her deterioration.