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ALSUntangled™ reviews alternative and off label treatments (AOTs), with the goal of helping people with ALS make more informed decisions about them.

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Marty Murray’s Method

Updated Review
Published: September 6, 2021
Since our review, we found no new information on this treatment. Our TOE Grades remain unchanged.

Key Information

Click on any letter grade below for more info:
Mechanism Grade: F
Preclinical Trials Grade: U
Cases Grade: D
Trials Grade: U
Risks Grade: U
Published: Sep 2010
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In our opinion, there are many serious problems with MM’s approach. First, ALSUntangled is aware of no evidence to support MM’s theory on ALS pathogenesis. No case of ALS has ever been shown to be caused or exacerbated by emotional repression. Statements that patients may have somehow caused their own ALS by repressing their emotions are not only completely unfounded but potentially hurtful, as pointed out by the numerous angry patient and caregiver posts cited. MM’s statement that ALS development “is never really about genes” demonstrates that he has a shocking lack of awareness of more than a decade of ALS scientific literature. Despite his claim that he is not offering a treatment, rather merely “teaching or coaching”, it is clear that some of those he contacts see his program as a potential therapy. It is also clear that MM has implied to clients that his method can lead to dramatically effective results, potentially ‘solving’ their ALS problem. Reticence to call an intervention a ‘treatment’ is a strategy sometimes used to avoid laws that restrict the practice of medicine without a license. In our opinion, degrees in political science, economics, and finance are not qualifications to provide medical advice, medical teaching or medical treatment. In the future, we hope that MM will clarify his lack of medical training, and the fact that he is offering ‘teaching or coaching’ and not medical treatment, to prospective clients. We find no evidence that MM has ever ‘solved’ or cured ALS. Of his few reported ‘successes’ the two we could contact reported improved attitudes and motivations. It is not clear whether these had anything to do with his approach, or to one of the other alternative or off-label approaches being utilized, or (most likely) to the benign natural history of their unusual motor neuron diseases. We could confirm no definite motor improvements and Case 2’s neurologist documented worsened motor function over the past year. Thus, terms like ‘solved’ and ‘cured’ should not be used by MM in describing his offering to patients. Finally, MM’s practice of cold-calling patients with ALS and their families is morally and ethically questionable and is clearly disturbing to many. Patients and families who receive harassing phone calls should be aware that they can take action against the caller (5).

Mechanistic plausibility

Grade A: Shown in a peer-reviewed publication to act on a relevant mechanism in humans

Mechanistic plausibility

Grade B: Shown in a peer-reviewed publication to act on a relevant mechanism in pre-clinical model(s)

Mechanistic plausibility - C

Grade C: Theoretically and plausibly acts on an ALS-relevant mechanism in humans

Mechanistic plausibility

Grade D: Acts on a biological mechanism but it is not clear that this mechanism is relevant in ALS

Mechanistic plausibility

Grade F: Implausible; would violate known principles or laws of biology

Mechanistic plausibility

Grade U: No useful information was found for this category

Pre-clinical models (animal or cell models recognized by ALSUntangled reviewers to be relevant to ALS)

Grade A: Two or more peer-reviewed publications reporting benefits in well-designed studies.

Animal studies are assumed to be ‘well designed’ when they follow published guidelines. When they deviate from these they are considered ‘flawed’.

Pre-clinical models (animal or cell models recognized by ALSUntangled reviewers to be relevant to ALS)

Grade B: One peer-reviewed publication reporting benefits in a well-designed study.

Animal studies are assumed to be ‘well designed’ when they follow published guidelines. When they deviate from these they are considered ‘flawed’.

Pre-clinical models (animal or cell models recognized by ALSUntangled reviewers to be relevant to ALS)

Grade C: One or more peer-reviewed publication(s) reporting benefits in flawed studies.

Animal studies are assumed to be ‘well designed’ when they follow published guidelines. When they deviate from these they are considered ‘flawed’.

Pre-clinical models (animal or cell models recognized by ALSUntangled reviewers to be relevant to ALS)

Grade D: One or more non-peer reviewed studies reporting benefits (published on a website or in an abstract)

Pre-clinical models (animal or cell models recognized by ALSUntangled reviewers to be relevant to ALS)

Grade F: The only studies available show no benefit

Pre-clinical models (animal or cell models recognized by ALSUntangled reviewers to be relevant to ALS)

Grade U: No useful information was found for this category

Patient case reports

Grade A: One or more peer-reviewed publications reporting benefits with validated diagnosis and benefits

Patient case reports

Grade B: More than one unpublished report of benefit with validated diagnosis and benefits

Patient case reports

Grade C: One unpublished report of benefit with validated diagnosis and benefits

Patient case reports

Grade D: Subjective report(s) of benefit without validated diagnoses and/or benefits

Patient case reports

Grade F: The only reports available show no benefit

Patient case reports

Grade U: No useful information was found for this category

Patient trials

Two or more peer-reviewed publications describing benefits in well-designed randomized, blinded placebo-controlled phase III trials

Patient trials

Grade C: One or more peer-reviewed publications reporting benefits in a well-designed randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled phase I or II trial

Patient trials

Grade D: One or more peer-reviewed publications reporting benefits in a flawed trial.

Flawed trials means those in which there are identifiable problems with patient selection, randomization, blinding, controls or follow-up. These have ‘high or unclear risk of bias’ according to published criteria. Well-designed trials are those that have ‘low risk of bias’.

Patient trials

Grade F: The only trials available show no benefit

Patient trials

Grade U: No useful information was found for this category

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade A: No exposed patients appear to have experienced harms

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade B: More than 0% but less than 10% of exposed patients experienced harms (no hospitalizations or deaths)

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade B (oral): More than 0% but less than10% of exposed patients experienced harms (no hospitalizations or deaths)

Grade D (intravenous): More than 0% but less than 5% of exposed patients experienced death or hospitalizations

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade C: At least 10% of exposed patients experienced harms (no hospitalizations or deaths)

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade D: More than 0% but less than 5% of exposed patients experienced death or hospitalizations

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade D: More than 0% but less than 5% of exposed patients experienced death or hospitalizations

Grade F: At least 5% of exposed patients experienced death or hospitalization

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade F: At least 5% of exposed patients experienced death or hospitalization

Risks (harms that occurred on this treatment)

Grade U: No useful information was found for this category

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