Especially noteworthy were the caveats and discussion of limitations.
People with MS might understandably leap at any news of progress. This story was strong on evidence and caution and appropriately low key on excitement.
The story explains: “the cost could range from $500 to $1,000 Australian dollars, which are roughly equal to U.S. dollars. In the U.S., Botox treatments can cost $455-$575 per injection site.”
Adequate.
The story reported:
On average, the patients’ tremor “scores” had gone from a 5 to a 3 six weeks after Botox treatment — which essentially means moving from “moderate” to “mild,” LaRocca said. Their ability to write and draw a straight line had also improved by week six, and the benefits were still there at week 12.
In contrast, there were no improvements after the placebo injections.
But the “on average” doesn’t tell much about the range of progress across the 23 people. That wouldn’t have been difficult to explain.
The story stated:
Muscle weakness was the most common side effect in this study, van der Walt said. It affected 42 percent of the study patients, though it went away within two weeks.
Muscle weakness is a potential concern in MS patients, LaRocca noted, since that problem often comes with the disease itself.
Good context provided. Example:
“This study is fairly preliminary, and it had a small number of patients,” LaRocca said. Larger studies, of more-diverse groups of MS patients, are needed, he said.
The study’s lead researcher agreed on the need for more work. “There are several questions that need to be answered by doing larger and longer-term studies,” Dr. Anneke van der Walt, a neurologist at Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, said in an email.
One is how long the benefits of repeat Botox injections might last: this study tested the effects of just one Botox treatment over three months.
In real life, the injections would have to be repeated every few months, or possibly every six months for some people, according to van der Walt. Another question is whether the side effects change over time.
Actually, most of the quotes came from an independent perspective.
A VP at the National MS Society said “Right now there’s no good way to treat MS arm tremors.”
The availability of Botox was clear in the story.
The novelty of this approach is not made clear in the story. Is this the first look at Botox for this use? Is there any comparable work?
It’s clear that the story did not rely on a news release.
Systematic, Criteria-Driven
Following a shift in journalism’s business model, a diverse ecosystem of publications, many covering science, has sprung up online. This has made it more difficult to sort out what qualifies as journalism, what doesn’t, and whether the public even cares.
https://t.co/qO2a27FiSe
Researchers and journalists do the public a grave disservice when they spin health study results to make them appear safer or more effective than warranted, says @HealthNewsRevu founder @garyschwitzer https://t.co/QIKsRbP6Ed
Comments (2)
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mickie thomas
November 8, 2012 at 12:34 pmHas this been tried with tremors of Parkinson patients?
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