Criticisms of DecodeME in the media - and responses to the criticisms

[MrMagoo]

Isn't this criticism backwards? (Even if it were true, which if I have understood correctly it isn't.)

A high error rate in the diagnosis would lead to messy data which would weaken the patterns that the analysis uncovered.

But the analysis showed strong patterns.

If the data were messy but still showed strong patterns that would have meant that the patterns for a clean dataset would have been even stronger.

This criticism would have been relevant to make before the study, to warn the investigators about things they should improve to get a better result.

Seems like you’re trying to apply logic to nonsense!

 

[MrMagoo]

Odd assertion isn’t it?

But he didn’t say FND is ME, he said ME is like it’s a functional disorder, you see. He didn’t say which functional disorder.


Some of you are too tied to the idea of facts, and things “making sense” and Alan spouting BS! Classic Functional Making Sense Of Things Disorder.

 

[Yann04]

Gosh almost as if it was a functional disorder…

He really loves the “Anxiety and Depression Gotcha

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

A high error rate in the diagnosis would lead to messy data which would weaken the patterns that the analysis uncovered.

That is one argument - and valid.
But the other argument is also valid - that the 'ME/CFS/' cohort contained a significant number of people with some other problem with a genetic basis. The main argument against this is that the genes pulled out by DecodeME are not picked out in conditions likely to cause interference. The pain gene may be the same variant picked up in fibromyalgia but that would be a not unexpected overlap.

 

[Kiristar]

What about the heritabillity claim? "Heritability was 9.5% in the
@DecodeMEstudy . The heritability of depression is 40-50%, and 30-40% for anxiety disorders."

 

[Yann04]

What about the heritabillity claim? "Heritability was 9.5% in the
@DecodeMEstudy . The heritability of depression is 40-50%, and 30-40% for anxiety disorders."

You find similarly high rates in ME if you look at twin heritability studies.

And similarly modest ones to decodeME if you look at GWAS heritability in depression and anxiety.

Fundamentally he’s weaponising two very different ways to measure heritability. It’s like comparing degrees celcius to degrees farenheit.

 

[Hoopoe]

What would Carson make of the observation that the following things are typical of ME/CFS but not typical of depression?

Having to lie flat at least some of the time
Delayed worsening of symptoms in response to activities
Rest in a quiet, darkened room improves symptoms.
Can have significant functional impairment and symptoms with normal mood, for long periods of time.
PEM episodes follow a very different time pattern than depressive episodes.

The healthcare system is oriented towards detecting certain symptoms typical of depression, but has not been trained to look for certain problems typical of ME. When one only looks at things like fatigue, sleep issues, cognitive impairment ME/CFS does resemble depression, but when other things are considered it begins looking different.

 

[richie]

Carson in SMC.

Funny how he highlights depression when there were no hits on genes related to depression!

Some depressive co morbidity is to be expected in long term illness. Open question as to whether it worsens non depressive features. My bet is that any study of , say, MS. or sarcoid will cover numerous with depressive states.
Depressive co-morbids in the absence of genetic signatures for depression strengthens the argument against depression as initiating factor at least. The more the merrier. For a Prof of NPs I would think this would be an obvious immediate observation.
I think the question as to constitution of cohort is valid and I wonder whether I as a sarcoid sufferer with a fatigue state illness well established before sarcoid diagnosis have shown the ME signature or not.

 

[richie]

I wonder which mechanisms Carson proposes that the functional somatic syndromes work through if not the nervous system.

I wonder which mechanisms Carson proposes that the functional somatic syndromes work through if not the nervous system.

I think there is a difference between conceptualisation and what is going on bilogically in individuals. So, C might focus on stress handling and a few of Garner's Recovery crew might fit in there, but even the Recovery crew allow that the kind of biophysical aspects addressed by Alex Howard's clinic are varied , that treatment may be necessary and such aspects may be making people sick by direct mechanisms and as general stressors.
Why " ME is a FSD" rather than "FSD is found in ME"?

 

[Trish]

Some posts have been moved to this thread:
General news about Fabricated and Induced Illness syndrome (FFI)

 

[Kiristar]

Someone better versed in the science than I might like to respond to Douglas Campbell under science's fb page post about the study?

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Another one who needs to go and boil his head.