Dr. Steven Novella, a neurologist and self-proclaimed skeptic, has published a recent blog post meant to discredit any and all past, present and future CCSVI research or treatments. Many of you have seen this post, and are rightfully angered. I will not link to his blog, as it contains one-sided, cherry-picked studies, full of opinion, and incompletely sourced. I also will not comment on his writing, as I believe continued scientific study will prove him wrong. The complete list of studies (which do have a variety of outcomes) is here: http://ccsvi.org/index.php/component/search/index.php?option=com_search&task=search

Novella disregards science which does not fit into his narrative, and he speaks as though this scientific pursuit is over after only 8 years, even though the placebo-controlled CCSVI treatment trials are on going (Alfred Hospital and Brave Dreams) and we are just learning about deposition of plasmic particles and microbleeds initiating MS lesions (The Gladstone Institute, Ge/Haacke 7T MRI studies) and the brain's lymphatic cleansing process via venous pathways (Nedergaard Lab and Kipnis Lab). The #HeartBrainConnection is real, the brain relies on venous drainage, and the science is ongoing. To exclude vascular and lymphatic specialists from MS research is the greatest hubris. (I'd also remind readers that Dr. Michal Schwartz was also told to "throw out her research" when she contended that the brain's immune cells were protective. And she was right, too. Glad she didn't listen to male neurologists, either!)

My contention is that Novella's ilk have historical context. They come from Charcot's lineage. Neurologists who delight in telling patients and other scientists that they are know-nothings and doomed without them, as only neurology understands brain science. Vasculature? Who cares, that's a plumber's expertise. It's the complex neurons which hold the key. Patients know nothing about their own bodies. They are highly suggestible, uneducated and prone to follow fads. Here's more on the history of Charcot, his ego, and his intellectual heir, Dr. Steven Novella.

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