In this statement on the 28th of October 2015 Lead author of the study, Michael Sharpe, Professor of Psychological Medicine, University of Oxford says:
"The study did not contradict the view that ME/CFS is a chronic illness. These treatments, which we have found previously to be moderately helpful, are not a cure, and they do not benefit everyone. But the good news is, the benefit of these treatments is still apparent two years later, and they do not lead to a relapse of the illness. This new finding should reassure patients who want to try these treatments."
So he confirms that "These treatments," ie CBT and GET ... "are not a cure" yet in the PACEtrial recovery article they claim that they cure 22% with these treatments. (The percentages (number/total) meeting trial criteria for recovery were 22% (32/143) after CBT, 22% (32/143) after GET, (31 January 2013, Psychological Medicine (2013), 43, 2227–2235) This sounds like a case of serious back peddling ...
- See more at: http://www.senseaboutscience.org/for_the_record.php/214/response-to-headlines-suggesting-me-is-all-in-the-mind
3 comments:
thx Dr SAM. His comment seems logically inconsistent to me. He says they 'treatments' don't work for everyone. He also said exercise increases symptoms. They also used the OXford defn which includes people tired for 6 months, could be depressed. And their outcome 'improved' level is 60 SF36 (think it's 72 that is recent heart attack), 5 lower than the intake 65 so already 13% were considered 'improved' being sicker than when they started. And what was it they said - walking 50 more steps/day, still less than renal failure - I'd have to double-check this point.....
So even if one were to accept their flawed methodology and believe that a few did improve a bit, it is most likely that the others stayed the same or got worse. There is no assurance in this.
Also - his statement here is in strong contrast to the CBT defn in the study itself which basically says CBT will cure everyone: "CBT was done on the basis of the fear avoidance theory of chronic fatigue syndrome. This theory regards chronic fatigue syndrome as being reversible and that cognitive responses (fear of engaging in activity) and behavioural responses (avoidance of activity) are linked and interact with physiological processes to perpetuate fatigue."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065633/
Thx Leela
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