Though the incidence of a negative lumbar puncture in those diagnosed with MS is reckoned to be quite low (I often see it quoted as 5% or less), I have not yet come across much in the way of research to underpin this. As such I wonder if the incidence could be significantly under-reported, especially reading between the lines of this research. Otherwise it seems a little improbable (unless there was some kind of selection bias going on) that as many as 32% of its sample group of 44 patients did not have oligoclonal bands (in a group from which those with mild to moderate disability have been removed to leave just those with benign or severe). Half of the benign (7 out of 14) being without bands might not seem surprising but 23% (7 of the 30) of those in the severe category sounds much higher than what I would have presumed. Pity they don’t give any data for the mild and moderate.
I was diagnosed with progression of lesions despite a negative lumbar puncture 11 years ago. Sharon
This has all the hallmarks of a paper being got out to establish a position in research.
Let’s be kind and say it was a hastily reported pilot study.
Suppose I were doing a vision study on a random sample of the population:
I only select those who are left handed (less than 14% of the population), those who wear glasses or contact lenses (14% of the population, and those who are female (about 55% of the population). I split those into two groups - those with red hair and those who are blonde.
How representative would my selection be of the general population?
Read the results, and you will see one item where the Standard Deviation is greater than the mean.
This suggests that the selection criteria have had a greater effect on the results than the subject being researched.
mrbobowen has hit the nail on the head with his comment:
"Pity they don’t give any data for the mild and moderate. "
All one can say to that is:
“Funny” pause “That”
Geoff
Yes Geoff especially as it would be relevent to their investigation as to whether band number relates to disease progression.