Posted by JonW on May 23, 2002, at 13:01:42
In reply to Re: Provigil/Dex Study Details » Rick, posted by Ritch on May 23, 2002, at 10:40:22
> That still is fairly recent (2 years). Isn't it interesting how one study can show no better effectiveness than placebo and yet another one shows equal >effectiveness to dexedrine? I guess about the only thing you can trust is anecdotal experience (here for example), or a large clinical trial (even then..). >I wonder if there has been or will be a study done with "stimulant naive" adult subjects?
Hi Mitch,
Seemingly inconsistent performance in controlled clinical trials could be explained by a drug not being very potent. Moclobemide, for example, isn't a very potent drug for treating social phobia. In at least two controlled studies it performed no better than placebo, while there are at least two other controlled studies where it was shown to be effective for social phobia.
I don't think anecdotal research is useless, but it should definitely be confirmed by controlled studies. If there is one type of research you can trust, it's not anecdotal. Anyone could get lucky and be led to the drug that saves their life, but the chances of success are far greater if you try drugs based on real data. Interestingly, I remember reading an article not too long ago about how the majority of outpatients wouldn't qualify for many of the clinical studies that get drugs approved. I wonder how significant that is. As a treatment resistent case, I can't help but think that's a bad thing.
Jon
poster:JonW
thread:104737
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020517/msgs/107412.html