Protocol McMaster University conducting an LP trial (FALCON)

MSEsperanza said:
Point 6 of the inlusion criteria:

"Scoring higher in contemplation, action or maintenance scores than the precontemplation phase on the readiness to change questionnaire"

Can someone help me understand what that means?
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From The Study Plan -
'Preparation consists of an audio home-study module (about 4 hours total) and about 1 hour of preparatory coaching by telephone or videoconference in the days to weeks before delivery of the LP intervention to orient participants to the approach and address any questions.'


Perhaps they will do the 'Readiness to Change' questionnaire before and after the Preparatory coaching.
The purpose of Lightning preparation is to get them to stop asking awkward questions.
To 'Be Ready to do Lightning Process' is to become Compliant/Obedient in advance of doing it.
If they persist in asking awkward questions, expressing doubts, then they are deemed 'Not Ready'. Being 'Not Ready to do the Lightning Process' means they are not motivated, not willing or eager enough to Stop Being Sick.

After all, this study does not want to enroll those unmotivated types who just want to wallow in their illness for ever, not even trying to get better. As is spelled out in the study overview - this study only wants those who are "motivated and show willingness to change their condition through intervention."
Edit add - the study applicants who are considered to be motivated to get better through interventions are only those who are, or become, Compliant and Obedient to Lightning process Trainers commands.

Though exactly what the 'contemplation, action or maintenance scores' refer to is still obscure.
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Copying from another thread, but I think it bears repeating when we are considering who funds the McMaster university department:


"McMaster University helpfully has a feature article on Edward J Mills.

The People Behind the Impact with Edward Mills: A collective responsibility to look after each other​

Edward Mills, a part-time professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, is also a generous donor, guided by a strong sense of responsibility to care for one another.
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The Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (HEI) can thrive thanks to the generous support of donors who share its commitment to advancing health research.

Among them is Edward Mills — “Call me Ed,” he says — a part-time HEI professor motivated by what he describes as “a collective responsibility to look after each other.”
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Mills first connected with the department in 2002, when HEI was still known as the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He collaborated as a researcher with HEI distinguished professor Gordon Guyatt, who encouraged Mills to pursue a PhD focused on clinical epidemiology in the Health Research Methodology program.

“It was during this time that I met and developed friendships with other students who would later become brilliant faculty,” Mills shares. This includes current HEI faculty members P.J. Devereaux, Holger Schunemann, Elie Akl, and Jason Busse.

Mills describes his HEI learner experience as profound. “I was given the confidence to pursue an academic career and subsequently a business career in a closely aligned area,” he shares. “McMaster has always been a very collegial environment and so I worked closely with colleagues across the department and would subsequently also start businesses with them.”
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Mills is referring to his friend and colleague Kristian Thorlund, a part-time HEI assistant professor. Both have previously created and exited companies including Redwood Outcomes and MTEK Sciences.
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Redwood Outcomes appears to be a 'Systematic Health Research reviews for hire' company. They also do PR for companies wanting to promote health products.
More than ever, our clients in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries need to demonstrate from which of many competing treatments patients are most likely to benefit."​
​

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bobbler said:
What is it with McMaster University?
Is it just the one in Canada or are there more of them that aren't like this (ie is McMaster a bigger brand or just the local name)
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Trish made a thread a while back - it seemed that the McMaster ideas had spread to the University of British Columbia

Trish said:
I am starting a thread about Professor Ric Arseneau because I have come across some information about him that is concerning. I understand he gave an online presentation to people with ME/CFS, FM and related conditions.
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ChronicallyOverIt said:
DNRS feature McMaster on their website, as far as I know this study was never done, not published, and you cannot find it:

Ongoing Research | Dynamic Neural Retraining System | DNRS

Explore ongoing research on DNRS, a neuroplasticity-based program for chronic illness recovery. See how science supports DNRS.
retrainingthebrain.com retrainingthebrain.com

I wonder what makes McMaster an easy target for these scams. I had an MD reference this website to me as proof it works. Seriously the MD didn’t even google if this study exists. They still stand by it.

Edit: this just brought back so much frustration I emailed that MD’s office the studies they are presenting do not exist.
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I found this page on google, and it referenced this youtube video that is private.
Dr Dale Guenter, DNRS research results at NAPCRG conference 2019 (video) – YouTube 18.43min
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I can’t find anything about the supposed study on researchgate.

I found this on the page of NAPCRG:

MB14: Neuroplasticity-based treatment for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and multiple chemical sensitivity: feasibility and outcomes (Pearls) (Multimorbidity)​

×
Date

11/17/2019

Time

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Room

Pier 3

Presenters

Dale Guenter, MD, MPH, CCFP,FCFP

Abstract

Context:
Persistent distressing symptoms that are difficult to categorize diagnostically are common in primary care, disabling for people who experience them, and frustrating for those providing care.

Objective:
Evaluate the feasibility of research involving participants in the Dynamic Neural Retreating System (DNRSTM), and impact on a variety of symptoms.

Design:
Quasi-experimental feasibility study with 1 year follow-up and analysis of outcomes for signal of change.

Setting:
8 in-person 5 day training programs in community settings in 4 countries over 1 year.

Population Studied:
102 adults with persistent distressing symptoms who attended a DNRSTM training seminar in one of 4 countries.

Intervention:
Participants attended 28 hours of training in the DNRS™ treatment approach over 5 days. This approach combines aspects of CBT, MBSR and other modalities with the objective of decreasing stimulus of neural pathways involved in the threat response, and increasing stimulus of neural pathways involved in a healthy and adaptive cognitive, emotional and sensory experience.

Outcome Measures:
Primary outcome at 3, 6 and 12 months was health status using SF-36.

Secondary outcomes were chemical sensitivity (MCS) using Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI), fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms with Symptom Impact Questionnaire (SIQR), chronic fatigue (CFS) with Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), anxiety with Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7) and depression with Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

Results:
Feasibility was good with 68% of training program participants agreeing to research, 85% completing at least 1 follow-up time point, and 63% completing 12 month time point.

Baseline SF-36 scores were comparable to fibromyalgia populations described in the literature.

All SF-36 domains improved markedly, with greatest improvement of 45 points for Role Physical (95% C.I. 30.7,59.6).

In addition the proportion of participants meeting criteria for MCS, CFS, FM, depression and anxiety decreased by 61% (FM in SIQR) to 88% (anxiety in GAD-7).

All scores at all follow-up time points showed sustained improvement, and were different from baseline measures with p<0.001.

Conclusions: This study provides support for a unifying theory of central sensitization for many overlapping chronic conditions. Neuroplasticity principles provided improvement in symptoms greater than other approaches in the literature, for this specific population.


Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
  1. Describe the unifying theory of central sensitization, and the role of neuroplasticity, in the pathophysiology of persistent distressing symptoms
  2. Explain how specific measures may be applied through a quasi experimental study in a treatment population
  3. Identify which symptoms are likely to improve through neuroplasticity-based treatment
 
bobbler said:
What is it with McMaster University?

Is it just the one in Canada or are there more of them that aren't like this (ie is McMaster a bigger brand or just the local name)
Click to expand...
It probably just comes with being all-in on psychobehavioral evidence-based medicine. It's mainly a vehicle to promote a particular brand of quackery, so it naturally comes with a lot of quackery.
 
MSEsperanza said:
Point 6 of the inlusion criteria:

"Scoring higher in contemplation, action or maintenance scores than the precontemplation phase on the readiness to change questionnaire"

Can someone help me understand what that means?
Click to expand...
Seems mainly to be the equivalent of "do you accept the flying spaghetti monster as your lord and savior?" as an entry test for belonging to the church of the flying spaghetti monster.

Others might frame it as something like "do you believe that ghosts reside in your body and are causing sickness?" or "do you believe in chakras?" And it won't bother anyone because hope and faith in treatment has pretty much become the dominant approach in the last decade. It's been turned into a good thing to maximize all the biases. They still have to coat it in some bullshit academese, but it's the same thing.
 
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