This journal accepts e-letters (which are also considered for publication) so it's an opportunity to challenge the trial. I would think ideally one would need to include at least a couple of references.
Free full text: http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/early/2014/07/14/pb.bp.113.045005.abstract
Free full text: http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/early/2014/07/14/pb.bp.113.045005.abstract
SPECIAL ARTICLE
The planning, implementation and publication of a complex intervention trial for chronic fatigue syndrome: the PACE trial
The Psychiatric Bulletin
Peter D. White1,
Trudie Chalder2 and
Michael Sharpe3
1 Queen Mary University of London
2 King’s College London
3 University of Oxford
Correspondence to Peter D. White (p.d.white@qmul.ac.uk)
Declaration of interest P.D.W. has carried out voluntary and paid consultancy work for the UK Government and a reinsurance company. T.C. has received royalties from Sheldon Press and Constable and Robinson. M.S. has carried out voluntary and paid consultancy work for the UK Government, consultancy work for an insurance company and has received royalties from Oxford University Press.
Abstract
The PACE trial was a four-arm trial of specialist medical care, compared with specialist medical care with a supplementary therapy: adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy or graded exercise therapy, for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The trial found that both cognitive-behavioural and graded exercise therapies were more effective than either of the other two treatments in reducing fatigue and improving physical disability.
This paper describes the design, conduct and main results of the trial, along with a description of the challenges that had to be overcome in order to produce clear answers to the clinically important questions the trial posed.