A Commission of the University of Tübingen accuses the renowned brain researcher Niels Birbaumer and colleagues of scientific misconduct. As the University announced on Thursday that a “senior Professor” and another researcher collected data in a study, in part, in their analyses, and this is not made transparent.
The Commission expressed the information that the suspected data corruption, undesirable results had been hit. The rectorate of the University announced consequences.
The study was published in 2017 in the journal “Plos Biology”, MIRROR ONLINE reported. Accordingly, the researcher in an Experiment had decrypted by using a hood thoughts completely paralyzed patients, who could not even move her eyes. The researchers based their claims to, among other things, on measurements of Brain waves (EEG) and the oxygen content of different regions of the brain (infrared spectroscopy).
Birbaumer rejects allegations
A researcher had contacted in 2018, with Doubts about the study at the University. On Thursday, the “Swabian Tagblatt reported: first,” on the assessment of the Commission.
Accordingly, among other things, EEG data, to which the researchers refer to in their study are lacking. In addition, the scientists reported in a patient, to have twelve days of investigations carried out, were able to submit to the Commission, but only receipts for eight days. In another patient, the examiner had only data from twelve instead of 14 days. “The Commission concluded that in the article, results were presented, to which there is no data”, – stated in the press release.
The panel calls on the scientists, their publication and to withdraw and also pointed out to the journal on the allegations. “For all the publications, to which the two concerned scientists since 2014 have participated, proposes to the Board, a subsequent Review by external experts”, – stated in the message of the University.
Birbaumer itself rejected in a statement the allegations as false, and vowed to put all of the “alleged error” is soon to resist.