What is it about?
Recent (and multiple previous) international publications claim that positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of amyloid depositions in the brain helps diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, this claim is unjustified and an example of circular reasoning, since cerebral amyloid is not synonymous with AD and because there exists no infallible reference with regard to presence or absence of AD.
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Why is it important?
Because this erroneous claim helps cementing and keeping alive an unhealthy, self-sufficient scientific culture based on a falsely positive image of a significant research that in reality causes anxiety among patients and elderly citizens and misleads authorities and pharma companies to invest interest and billions of dollars in a closed circuit that helps doctors and companies involved instead of afflicted patients and society. It is time to break the illusion and start all over again.
Perspectives
Scientists should be the first to keep their own house in order by critically reviewing own results and acting accordingly. If they cannot, pharma industry and healthcare politicians should be brave enough to take the lead, search their hearts and act accordingly to the benefit of patients and society.
Poul Høilund-Carlsen
Odense University Hospital
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Circular Inference in Dementia Diagnostics, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, April 2018, IOS Press,
DOI: 10.3233/jad-180050.
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