Communication with Locked-In Patients in Question after Misconduct Finding
Freeman writes:
Germany's main research-funding organization, DFG, has determined that a high-profile neuroscientist committed scientific misconduct in his DFG-funded work. That work concluded it is possible to interpret yes-or-no answers from the brain waves of fully paralyzed patients with "locked-in syndrome" due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's disease).
[...]Birbaumer's team, included incorrect information in three cases, did not completely record patient examinations by video as they reported, and failed to provide full data on patients.
The DFG opened its investigation in 2018 after whistleblower Martin Spi1/4ler, at the time a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Ti1/4bingen, said that he could not replicate the researchers' findings when he reanalyzed their data. An independent expert commissioned by the DFG as well as two other whistleblowers subsequently said that they too could not replicate the findings.
[...]An independent investigation at the University of Ti1/4bingen likewise concluded in June that the researchers committed scientific misconduct. The investigation found evidence of selective data collection, missing and incomplete data, and possible data corruption due to flawed analysis.
In statements to Nature, Birbaumer said he accepted the investigations findings but that he stands by the work, which he say still shows "that it is possible to communicate with patients who are completely paralyzed, through computer-based analysis of blood flow and brain currents."
The DFG noted in its statement that the investigators did not draw any conclusions on whether the researchers' approach is valid. Nevertheless, the DFG and the University of Ti1/4bingen both recommended that PLOS Biology retract both papers.
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