You might remember that I recently reported of TWO studies sponsored by the ‘Carstens Stiftung’ and wonder whether the second is any better that the first. Here is its published outline: Multimodal online programme and biosignal analysis:
Here, too, the basic principles of a plant-based wholefood diet, Kneipp hydrotherapy, naturopathic self-help strategies and elements of holistic therapy and mind-body medicine are taught – but online. ‘The study represents a prototype for the optimal use of modern digital tools in naturopathic care situations and could serve as a best-practice model for online therapy approaches,’ says Dr Michael Jeitler, Deputy Research Coordinator at the Charité University Outpatient Clinic for Naturopathy at Immanuel Hospital Berlin. There is an urgent need for this, as it is known that only one sixth of the population in Germany is reached with appropriate lifestyle interventions taught in a practical manner.
The hypothesis: The physical resilience of patients with post-COVID syndrome improves more with a combination of naturopathic therapy in an online setting and routine care than with routine care alone. A total of 120 subjects will be included in the two-arm randomised controlled trial.
Group 1 will receive online training lasting 120 minutes once a week over a period of 2 months. In addition, there will be a recommendation to consolidate what has been learnt in daily 30-minute exercises at home. An online diary will also be kept. The observation period per patient is 12 months.
Group 2 will initially be placed on a waiting list.
A highlight of the project is a physiological sub-study focusing on the establishment and validation of a biosignal characterisation of post-COVID syndrome and in particular the prominent symptoms of fatigue. To this end, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse, electrodermal activity and brain activity are measured simultaneously in patients with fatigue. ‘This approach should make it possible to objectively quantify the clinical symptom changes of fatigue, which have been difficult to objectify up to now,’ says Jeitler. ‘We hope to gain a better understanding of fatigue itself and its role in post-COVID syndrome. Ideally, this will improve diagnosis in the future.’
There will also be an embedded qualitative sub-study. After two months, both some of the test subjects and the GPs treating them will be interviewed individually about their perceptions and experiences in order to better adapt the naturopathic interventions to the needs and requirements of the patients in the long term.
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What is in my view particularly noteworthy is the fact that both studies pretend (like proper science) to test a hypothesis. This is, of course, not true. A true test of a hypothesis would be open to either its confirmation or its rejection. However, with the present study we have a situation where only a confirmation is on the cards. This discloses one thing very clearly: we are dealing here not with proper science, but with proper pseudoscience.
This study follows (just as the first trial) a ‘A+B versus B’ design and thus has the same major flaws as the first trial sponsored by the ‘Carstens Stiftung’. The reason for using this study design seems all too obvious: it will always generate a positive outcome. There is, of course, a prize: the study is unable to show that the intervention has any effects other than placebo. The Carstens Stiftung is happy to pay this price; their main interest seems to be not to answer meaningful research questions but to generate findings that lend themselves to promoting so-called alternative medicine (SCAM).
2 Responses to More rubbish pseudo-research sponsored by the ‘Carstens Stiftung’
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Edzard Ernst wrote:
“The Carstens Stiftung is happy to pay this prize;
their main interest seems to be not to answer meaningful research questions but to generate findings that lend themselves to promoting so-called alternative medicine (SCAM).”
OF COURSE! Doing “science” is their way of making money. Their whole purpose of life is: “MORE STUDIES!”. They make the PR for this, and they collect money and distribute it FOR MORE SCIENCE. The vital part is to propagate THIS mechanism like a fungus in an apple. De facto it is like an organism: a parasite.
The cause for the existence of this parasite: sect insanity based on Rudolf Steiner
The reason for the existence of this parasite: to deliver prey to members of the sect and to partners in crime.
With tricks they heaved members of this parasitic scene into “meaningful” positions in “science”, i.e. in clinics and universities. They have their own education system to brainwash children into “the right mind”, and even have their own university and institutes, paid with money given by donors.
In this archived group overview you see some “scientists”:
https://www.allaxys.com/~kanzlerzwo/index.php?topic=10804.msg35300#msg35300
You know quite a lot of them. Because they appear again and again as spearheads of the organized “science” crime, or should I better say “crime science”?
What do you see? Answer: One of their favorite places of their PR machinery: publishing their “studies” in a magazine.
Some weeks ago Michaela Geiger, the 1. Vorsitzende of the DZVhÄ (Deutscher Zentralverein homöopathischer Ärzte), wrote a letter to the SWR (a German state TV station) and to DocCheck (a strange gatekeeper to medical sites). The letter was FULL of “science”. Yes, “studies” and “studies” and “studies”. She drowned the receivers ot the letter with “science”. No wonder the receivers brushed that off and did not look at the crap.
Why is this worth mentioning? Because it shows how the sect commits its warfare: by drowning people through floods of “science”. No Mr John or Mrs Edna Average is able to wade through these mountains of shit. All this is done to impress people, and to silence them. The kings and high priests of science have spoken!
Why is this worth mentioning? Because Michaela Geiger’s shitty letter was smashed to pieces in a fire of broad sides by some of the usual suspects at ALLAXYS-1:
“BLASPHEMIE! Das Nichts des homöopathischen Nichts explodiert!”
https://www.allaxys.com/~kanzlerzwo/index.php?topic=13347.0
It is a long thread, and it is one shot after the other… BANG! BANG! BANG! A fun to read.
And worth mentioning is one paragraph concerning Cochrane and how bad the scientific base for “conventional” treatments is:
[*QUOTE*]
——————————
In scientific medicine, useless, useless and dangerous things are examined and sorted out, they are no longer used.
But in the case of homeopathy, ‘they’ brazenly stick to the old shit and still want to sell it as the crown of medicine with all their might, despite more than 220 years of uninterrupted crash landings.
——————————
[*/QUOTE*]
https://www.allaxys.com/~kanzlerzwo/index.php?topic=13347.msg40779#msg40779
Yes, this is it! Scientific medicine sorts out crap, but the homeopathy/anthroposophy sect refuses to take their crap out, and again and again (more than 220 years now) insists on the very same shit.
Michaela Geiger (of course not invented by herself, but [as usual] copied from previous “writings” of other sect members) claims that the homeopathic “science” is as good as the scientific science. The above quote with some few words crumbles that lie to rubble.
Why do I mention all this? Answer: Because there is a
“Dr Michael Jeitler, Deputy Research Coordinator at the Charité University Outpatient Clinic for Naturopathy at Immanuel Hospital Berlin”
He is one of the “scientists” of the new attack by the Carstens Stiftung.
He can be seen in this archived group overview of some “scientists”:
https://www.allaxys.com/~kanzlerzwo/index.php?topic=10804.msg35300#msg35300
All the many names, we can find many of them in… in the “science” Michaela Geiger piles up in her letter against SWR and DocCheck.
Now that I mentioned money, let’s look at some pretty well-doing members and donors:
“Rudolf Steiner-Fonds für wissenschaftliche Forschung e.V.”
http://rudolfsteinerfonds.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RFS_Langfassung_DinA4_180613_v8.pdf
Many names, and you know so many of them. The Steiner-Fonds is a tool for collecting money. Ah, now we see some relations! Especially when seeing the name Stephan Baumgartner. This is the guy who made the infamous duckweed “studies”. And we see some more, like Meinhard Simon, who… was one of those who made the infamous duckweed “studies”.
And what did the Steiner-Fonds do? Answer: organize and give the money for just that.
So we see the whole “science” industry of homeopathic/anthroposophic “science” assembled, from money-makers to money-organizers, to money takers…
And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, have a look at Rainer Lüdtke. Skeptics know him well and have fun with one sentence he said:
[*QUOTE*]
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The basic concept of homeopathic research, to establish the general effectiveness of homeopathy on the isolated effectiveness of homeopathic remedies, must be regarded as a failure overall.
——————————
[*/QUOTE*]
Rainer Lüdtke, chief-statistician of the Karl & Veronica Carstens-Stiftung (KVC) said that? What a blow! But not for the homeopaths. Lüdtke was not degraded, no, au contraire, he was heaved up! He became one of their TOP MEN at the banknote printers: He is the head of a company which ORGANIZES AND SUPERVISES donor foundations. He is at THE TOP.
We can guess where the money will flow to…