For patients who are paralyzed, the hope for miracles that permit movement or at least more interaction with the world around them is likely to be quite strong. This article states the very limited success of a brain implant device. But it may portray false hope that this may be an option for current patients.
The story overstates the benefits of the implant multiple times by saying that the technology can help “paralyzed people” and “paralyzed patients” – implying that there is more than one person involved. The reality is that, so far, the technology “worked” for one person and two monkeys – hardly enough to assume that this technology will truly end up helping people in the real world. Furthermore, it is difficult to state whether this person was truly helped by this technology because the amount of control that he achieved was not very good.
The story does not comment on the availability of the treatment, nor does it mention costs, which are likely to be astronomical. The story also does not mention the alternative technologies, including scalp electrodes and devices that pick up eye movements. The story also did not mention harms of treatment, which, since the implant goes through the skull, presumably include at least the risk of infection.
The individuals studied in the Nature report represent research subjects who must have been very carefully screened and aware of the novelty of the treatment. The article should have clearly stated that the widespread availability of such devices is likely many years off at best.
It is good that the story quotes an independent neurologist: “Duke University neurologist Miguel Nicolelis, who was not part of the studies, said he is surprised that Nature published a report on an ongoing patient trial, noting that two other patients have received implants, and the 25-year-old patient has since had his removed after a year of use. Nicolelis expressed concern that the journal is in effect promoting a medical-device company with the study.”
The story does not mention costs, which are likely to be astronomical.
The story does not quantify the benefits of treatment. Moreover, the story overstates the benefits multiple times by saying that the technology can help “paralyzed people” and “paralyzed patients” – implying that there is more than one person involved. The reality is that the technology worked for one person and two monkeys – hardly enough to assume that this technology will truly end up helping people in the real world. Furthermore, it is difficult to state whether this person was truly helped by this technology because the amount of control that he achieved was not very good.
The story does not mention harms of treatment, which, since the implant goes through the skull, presumably include at least the risk of infection.
Although the story mentions two reports in the journal Nature, there is insufficient information on the nature of the existing evidence. The story mentions the limited success of the device, but the lead sentence implies that it allows paralyzed patients to use a computer.
The story does not engage in disease mongering.
The story quotes the authors of the two study and a neurologist not associated with the studies. It included this important perspective: “Duke University neurologist Miguel Nicolelis, who was not part of the studies, said he is surprised that Nature published a report on an ongoing patient trial, noting that two other patients have received implants, and the 25-year-old patient has since had his removed after a year of use. Nicolelis expressed concern that the journal is in effect promoting a medical-device company with the study.”
The story does not mention the alternative technologies, including scalp electrodes and devices that pick up eye movements.
The story does not comment on the availability of the treatment. Nowhere does the story mention that this treatment is not available outside of the study reported.
The story clearly states that this technology is new.
Because the story quotes an independent neurologist and does not lift text from the company’s press release or from the article in Nature, the reader can be confident that the story does not rely on a press release as the sole source of information.
Systematic, Criteria-Driven
Monday at #ADA2021, an infectious disease epidemiologist, a journalist, and a researcher shared perspectives on communication of risk in the era of COVID-19: http://ow.ly/ROfR30rMeE7 @AstleyCM @garyschwitzer @berthahidalgo @ADA_DiabetesPro
Shoutouts to @susan_bewley @drkevinknopf @MichaelBaum11 in this call for more than fawning coverage from press releases for these kinds of stories.
Also, linked history inside goes back 5 years just on Grail apparently trying to become Holy Grail. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1408849696416841731
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