Abstract:
The continued critiques of the PACE trial highlight how differing beliefs about the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome still influence how scientific studies in this area are accepted and evaluated. Causal beliefs about chronic fatigue syndrome and a modern version of Cartesian dualism are important in understanding the reaction to the PACE trial. The continued debate on the PACE trial seems to miss the fact that science is incremental. An unfortunate outcome of the PACE controversy and intimidation of researchers may be less research in the area. It is time to move on from criticism and collect more data on effective treatments.
Source: Petrie KJ, Weinman J. The PACE trial: It’s time to broaden perceptions and move on.J Health Psychol. 2017 Aug;22(9):1198-1200. doi: 10.1177/1359105317703789. Epub 2017 Apr 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28805523