Cognition Based Medicine

Against allopathy Alternative medicine

Clinically unproven

Homeopaths Without Borders Meridians Dianetics Aristolochia Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica Iron

Woo-meisters

Phillip Day Maharishi University of Management Encyclopedia of American Loons Annee de Mamiel Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine Saidit v - t - e

Cognition Based Medicine (CBM) is the woo alternative to evidence based medicine. It is basically an anthroposophical construct which elevates patient perception above objective outcomes such as serum counts; its methodology closely follows the pseudoscientific method.

CBM criteria as set out in the Swizz Report are:

• before/after temporal relationship
• correspondence of temporal patterns
• correspondence of spatial patterns
• morphological correspondence
• dose-effect correspondence
• process correspondence
• dialogue correspondence
• functional causal gestalt
• functional therapeutic process

Unpacking this list, it amounts to: accept that correlation equals causation, assume that any rationale that sounds even minimally plausible is supporting evidence, never blind or double-blind, and maximise the potential for placebo responses.

Needless to say this is much more satisfactory than scientific investigations which show the outcomes to be consistent with the placebo effect. Under CBM, the placebo effect is a therapeutic effect and therefore a success. As long as the quack and the patient agree it worked, that is the end of the story.

See also

• Confirmation bias
• Post-hoc fallacy
• Choice theory