This news release describes a small study that appears to show an increase in brain volume and improved memory among some low-income seniors who participated in a civic engagement program. We say “appears” because it’s debatable whether the study did, in fact, show any such benefits. In the results section of this study, the researchers acknowledge that their analysis of the full study sample “revealed no significant intervention effects” on brain volume. However, they highlight the findings of a “sex-stratified” analysis in the abstract that seems to indicate a benefit. But that positive result was found only in men, who comprise only about 28% of the subjects, or just 16 men in each group — a very tenuous base to support any claims of effectiveness.
A plainer way to state the findings would be that there was no significant difference between the groups overall — a simple acknowledgment that we never receive in the study abstract or the news release. Instead, the release keeps the spin cycle going by suggesting that this intervention can help “reverse part of the aging process” and “improve memory.” But no memory test results are actually reported in the study to show that there was any “improvement.” The only results provided show a correlation between brain volume and memory performance — there’s nothing to show that that the intervention itself produced a change in this outcome compared with the control group. So again, there’s a disconnect between the actual study results and what’s getting reported to the media and news consumers.
We’re all for exploring non-drug interventions that may help stave off dementia, and the Baltimore Experience Corps could possibly help do so through a combination of cognitive and social stimulation, as well as participation in purposeful, meaningful activity. (Who doesn’t love the idea of grandpas growing their brains by reading to schoolchildren!) But nobody is helped by studies that overstate the importance of their results or attempt to spin negative results as positive. Nor is it helpful for news releases to pass along such findings without providing some level of critical appraisal.
The program under study welcomes study participants as volunteers, so there is no “cost” to them. It is not a drug or device, but we still might encourage the next release to quantify the costs a bit better. Bare minimum Satisfactory for this mention: “Experience Corps is a national program, however it can be costly and isn’t available everywhere.”
The description of benefits is certainly not as clear as it could be, and arguably represents an attempt to put a positive spin on a study showing no overall effect. As noted above, the release focuses almost entirely on results in men. It never acknowledges that there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups as a whole. Moreover, the headline’s suggestion that the intervention “improves memory” isn’t quantified or supported by evidence in the paper. The only results reported in the paper show a correlation between brain volume and memory — there’s no direct evidence that the intervention improved memory results.
Due to the nature of the intervention – which was volunteering in a school setting – it’s difficult to imagine harms occurring. There was no mention of harms in the release, but we won’t penalize the release for that omission.
In our view, the release overstates the study findings, and never warns readers about the limitations of the sex-stratified analysis involving less than a third of the overall study population. The release says brains in the study “maintained their size,” but that was not a statistically significant finding. (To be fair, this is merely an extension of an overstatement that exists in the conclusion of the original study being reported on.) The researchers obliquely allude to the “limited power” of their study, but suggest — with unjustified optimism, in our view — that the most likely effect of this limitation was “an underestimation of program benefits”. Highlighting the results in men might have been more acceptable if the authors were able to cite other data indicating activity-based sex-differences on brain effects, which they don’t, and which to our knowledge haven’t been shown.
There was no disease-mongering in this report on cognitive decline.
The release clearly lists the funding sources.
While this study suggests that social activity (in a special program) may be nourishing to brain health, it does not compare or mention other research into possible methods for preserving brain mass and preventing cognitive decline. For instance, a healthy diet, exercise, not smoking, drug therapy, etc.
We don’t believe that the availability of volunteering is an issue, but the story does note that this particular program — the Experience Corps — isn’t available everywhere.
The study concept — a randomized controlled trial of a civic engagement program — is novel and builds upon findings from a smaller pilot study. However, the release doesn’t establish what is new or different about the study compared with previous research.
The suggestion that this study demonstrates “reversing part of the aging process,” based on such a small subgroup of a small study, is an exaggeration.
Systematic, Criteria-Driven
Puleeeeease... this 'game changer' weight loss drug causes more nausea and vomiting than a placebo. Some game, some change. My friend Gary would spank you for using the eighth word medical reporters should never, ever use. @garyschwitzer @thackerpd
https://www.healthnewsreview.org/toolkit/just-journalists-writing-tips-case-studies/7-words-and-more-you-shouldnt-use-in-medical-news/ https://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen/status/1361426796126830597
A scary @statnews Op-Ed warns that govt attempts to rein in Pharma may cut off access to "life-changing" drugs.
It takes @garyschwitzer to let us know: the author spent 10 years as Pfizer's public-policy chief. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1360325022578053123
.@TranspariMED criticizes STAT op-ed for not disclosing pharma funding of author’s institute - similar to criticism we’ve made of STAT op-eds in the past. @transparify @ThinkTankWatch @icer_review https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2021/02/transparency-watchdog-criticizes-stats-non-disclosure-on-pro-pharma-op-ed/
Comments
Please note, comments are no longer published through this website. All previously made comments are still archived and available for viewing through select posts.
Our Comments Policy
But before leaving a comment, please review these notes about our policy.
You are responsible for any comments you leave on this site.
This site is primarily a forum for discussion about the quality (or lack thereof) in journalism or other media messages (advertising, marketing, public relations, medical journals, etc.) It is not intended to be a forum for definitive discussions about medicine or science.
We will delete comments that include personal attacks, unfounded allegations, unverified claims, product pitches, profanity or any from anyone who does not list a full name and a functioning email address. We will also end any thread of repetitive comments. We don”t give medical advice so we won”t respond to questions asking for it.
We don”t have sufficient staffing to contact each commenter who left such a message. If you have a question about why your comment was edited or removed, you can email us at feedback@healthnewsreview.org.
There has been a recent burst of attention to troubles with many comments left on science and science news/communication websites. Read “Online science comments: trolls, trash and treasure.”
The authors of the Retraction Watch comments policy urge commenters:
We”re also concerned about anonymous comments. We ask that all commenters leave their full name and provide an actual email address in case we feel we need to contact them. We may delete any comment left by someone who does not leave their name and a legitimate email address.
And, as noted, product pitches of any sort – pushing treatments, tests, products, procedures, physicians, medical centers, books, websites – are likely to be deleted. We don”t accept advertising on this site and are not going to give it away free.
The ability to leave comments expires after a certain period of time. So you may find that you’re unable to leave a comment on an article that is more than a few months old.
You might also like