On magic bullets:

This article details a study of probiotics as a treament for autistic children. Anna posted this first and I made some comments there which I will repeat here.

The study is, in my view, deeply flawed. So much so that I don't give much credence to it. Letting the participants know that they are receiving the medicine vs. the placebo renders any subject analysis pointless. If you know you're giving your child medicine you're far more likely to see improvements. Proper studides use double blind. Neither the administrators of the trial nor the participants know who is getting the placebo and who is getting the medicine. That ensures any subjective skewing of results is controlled.

If and when this test is replicated with proper controls it may be illuminating. Until then, it's all heat and no light.

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