PACE Trial
The PACE trial was a large and controversial trial which compared the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), graded exercise therapy (GET), adaptive pacing therapy, and specialist medical care for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
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The investigators reported that both CBT and GET were “moderately” effective at treating ME/CFS. The results have been questioned due to methodological weaknesses in the study design. For instance, the definition of recovery was weakened after the data was collected, leading to a larger share of recovered participants. Analyses under the original protocol did not find significant effects. As of 2021, graded exercise therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (intended as a treatment) are no longer recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for people with ME/CFS.
The PACE trial (costing £5M, the most amount of money spent on ME/CFS research) has been referred to as 'the biggest medical scandal of the 21st century'. For a full write-up and details of the trial please visit the ME-Pedia page below
https://me-pedia.org/wiki/PACE_trial#Influence_on_treatment
The PACE trial has been covered in various publications over the years. Links below.
"The PACE trial debate illustrates what can happen when researchers become entrenched in a particular point of view, and fail to engage in constructive exchange with critics and stakeholders. It reveals an unwillingness of the Co-Principal Investigators of the trial to engage in authentic discussion and debate. It leads one to question the wisdom of such a large investment from the public purse (£5million) on what is a textbook example of a poorly done trial."
Pete Judo speaks about the PACE trial in his latest YouTube video.