I see, her neck angle would of allowed to eat. You seem sparse on your facts or any links to facts.
Sorry...I was assuming you'd read the basic information on the case before posting, but I forgot what topic we were on....facts don't seem to matter to the I'm-On-A-First-Name-Basis-With-"Terri"-and-Know-Her-Better-Than-Her-Husband crowd... are you one of them?
In any case...read the big GAL's (Wolfson) report to Jeb Bush for info on the swallowing tests. She failed to swallow, despite repeating the testing twice trying to get a response. The results were so conclusive that there was no hope, that it was recommended that no more tests be done.
Wolfson recommended another swallowing test, if the parties could agree on what to do with the results, and he also noted that the Schindlers changed positions on the PVS diagnosis. For years and years they agreed she was in a PVS, but flip-flopped just prior to this report.
Regarding saliva, it takes conscious cerebral activity to move the food back to where the swallowing reflex (reflex=involuntary) takes over. For small amounts of saliva, the reflex can be triggered without conscious intervention, but for her to actually swallow food or drink, she would need the conscious voluntary input. That is, her neck angle wouldn't allow her to eat, but it did prevent her from drooling as the saliva could go back down her throat. IANAP.