Thread: Minnesota Lawmaker Wants to Violate Lou Gehrig's Medical Records

Originally Posted by JackofDiamonds

I just don't understand how her "curiosity" couldn't be solved with a study on living patients. I mean, we have studies all the time. Surely if she wanted to a study could be set up. But I guess that wouldn't make her as famous ...

Gee, a relatively-unknown politician attempting to tie their name to a world-famous athlete to garner free publicity. Like that's never happened before.

Not knowing anything of the history of any of this, or even who Lou Gehrig was, reading that article to me was a sad litany of all parties still feeding off this poor person's carcass.

In terms of using living patients to assess the relationship between ALS and head trauma it would have to be a retrospective kind of study. The ethical implications of a controlled study would mean it could never happen. I'm no expert on it, but it seems to me they were intimating in the article that a definitive ALS diagnosis might require post mortem study like it is (used to be?) with Alzheimer's or other "symptom-based diagnosis" neuro diseases.

One person's data can never prove anything definitive with regards a population. However, the *right* person's data, carefully controlled and managed, can ensure sources of lucrative funding well into the future. This is a fact I am no doubt sure both the Mayo Clinic and the ALS Foundation are well aware of. Whether you are selling Coke, Nike shoes, or Medical Research, celebrity endorsement is definitely a money spinner.

James.

Jimbo --
Lou Gehrig was a famous American baseball player during the 1920s-early 1940s who suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease".
As usual, you possess remarkably keen insight. That having been said, I have a minor issue with your statement "The ethical implications of a controlled study would mean it could never happen." The Tuskegee Institute's experiments on deliberately infecting black men, women, and children with syphilis occurred into the early 1970s. A friend of mine would say "Well, that's ancient history."
The real value of having historical knowledge is being aware of what has been attempted in the past that didn't work and not allowing anyone to attempt to foist it on oneself in the present.
This so-called "lawmaker" is attempting to circumvent Mr. Gehrig's privacy, which according to American law survives his death.

Thanks for the Gehrig info Maple.

Yes, I have no doubt there have been many "ethical anomalies" in the past and most likely will continue into the future. However, based on my knowledge of research ethics requirements of reputable medical funding bodies like the NHMRC in Australia and the MRC in the UK, and to a lesser degree the NIH in the US (never applied for money from them), proposing a study where you follow a "treatment" group who are deliberately given head trauma through time, and comparing their ALS outcome to a control group, would never get up! However, I suppose if you attempted to get funding from less "known" sources, perhaps this kind of thing might still happen, who knows? I certainly hope not.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

proposing a study where you follow a "treatment" group who are deliberately given head trauma through time, and comparing their ALS outcome to a control group, would never get up!

If it ever did, I want to be the guy to administer that study!
Especially if I get to pick the test group.

It would have to be conducted as a "blind" study. A bit like a pinata....

James.

That MN politican is known for being sort of loonie, she's tried to get the lights turned off on all buildings in downtown Minneapolis after 1am to cut light polution, that being said, sports concusions are a serious problem in some sports and might be worth looking into

There is of course a political agenda at play here. As ghastly as it sounds, there is actually a movement afoot to ban football at the middle school/ high school level due to head trauma. This of course came to a head immediately following Junior Seau's recent suicide and the revelation that he indeed did have some serious head trauma from football. I suspect that even though Gherig was a baseball player, the violation of Mr. Gherig's medical records is an attempt to gather additional ammunition for this big head trauma scare. More nuetering and chicification of America, says I. A political agenda with "scientific" proof manufactured to support it. Gherig is entitled to his privacy. Is there no escaping the over-reaching nanny state even in death?

BTW, referring to Gherig as just an American baseball player is rather like calling a Ferrari Testarosa just a car. Gherig was a baseball god. Although in all honesty I think Babe Ruth would have been more fun to party with.

Originally Posted by 1OldGI

There is of course a political agenda at play here. As ghastly as it sounds, there is actually a movement afoot to ban football at the middle school/ high school level due to head trauma.

I thought you guys wear helmets to play football.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I thought you guys wear helmets to play football.

They do wear helmets that, when properly fitted, will greatly reduce concussions and other head trauma. Problem is that players don't like to wear their helmets fitted properly because a properly fitted helmet is really uncomfortable and somewhat restricting when it comes to moving your head.