ABSTRACT
Patients having serious neurological diseases often wonder why clinical trials must
use controls and double blinding in order to prove efficacy. Studies on the effect
of examiner blinding in multiple sclerosis trials, as well as the published results
of an unblinded uncontrolled clinical trial of Vitamin E therapy in patients with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (including Lou Gehrig) provide clear illustrations of
the impact of blinding and controls on outcome. These reports serve as a resource
for physicians, patients and their families in discussing the rationale for controls
and double blinding, and instill caution that should be used when judging results
of studies which are unblinded or uncontrolled.
Keywords
clinical trials - double blinding - Noseworthy - multiple sclerosis - Lou Gehrig -
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
