Conceptualization and Analysis of Mechanistic Studies

Abstract

Much recent attention has been given to the priority for doing “mechanistic studies” of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities. A preference for such studes has been clearly indicated by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine program of funding for CAM research. It is, however, difficult to find canons by which “mechanistic” studies should be analyzed, and even harder to find a good definition of “mechanism.” Social scientists have well-developed ways of approaching these issues, but their methods suffer from a fatal flaw, the ecologic mechanistic fallacy. Basic scientists fare even worse, often conducting mechanistic studies that may have no plausible mechanistic content, and that also commit the ecologic mechanistic fallacy. More methodological work on the concept of mechanism is needed at a fundamental level.