['Another breakthrough': general news reports raise false hopes].
Recently a breakthrough in research was reported in the Dutch press. The results were considered of major importance for the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease, motor neuron disease and Alzheimer's disease. Thereafter societies of patients and neurologists were overloaded with questions. They had to explain again and again that false expectations had been aroused. The road from basic research to a proven beneficial therapy is long. Promising results are at many phases of the development of a treatment at risk of disappearing. Reports from the laboratory on new treatments are always too early. In order to prevent false expectations, submissions to the press ought to be based on firm evidence as is usual with publications in professional journals, editors of the press should scrutinize the claims made by researchers, and, in addition, the general public should be educated on the diagnostic process and the assessment of treatment efficacy.
Vermeulen
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Academisch Medisch Centrum, afd. Neurologie, AZ Amsterdam.
D008192:Deception; D006801:Humans; D020452:Journalism / Q000592:standards*; D009426:Netherlands; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D011643:Publishing / Q000592:standards; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards; D012941:Social Responsibility