Bob et al, I too just looked at this 'study' which turns out to be a letter to the editor, rather than a formal study, and noted the huge numbers from which they could choose, even given that they used only the top 3%. I could see no real reason for PD to be singled out for any headline on this as only 2 cases of parkinsonism were considered, of which one was not evaluated because it had been taken down. If all science was conducted on this basis then it would not be YouTube being considered for snake oil stuff, it would be science itself!

However, even the way that the top 3% of the most popular videos on Youtube are determined is statistically questionable. It is just the ones that have been viewed most..... Where is the evidence for those videos having been chosen for authenticity, rather than a spectator sport? Or for seriousness? Or genuine claims of illness? None. So the whole thing falls down. And that is without the fact that the authors of this letter are choosing to pick X amount out of 3% of thousands. How do they arrive at X? What made them choose the two videos of 'parkinsonism' or the many more of 'tremor'? It is all very subjective, and should not be used as a blanket means to discredit all internet sources. It is just YouTube....... by it's nature amateur for the most part. And a spectator arena.

The fact is that most patients who are sentient enough to look at these things are able to come to their own conclusions, and if they have a movement disorder will have some scepticism about what they view. There are some people who will have a desperate hope that there is something out there that will help them, and will try anything. There should be compassion about this not criticism. Many people looking for solutions to health problems with that level of desperation have been failed by modern medicine....

I would also hold that people out there with conversion disorders that lead them to make videos of 'movement disorders' they believe that they have are also worthy of compassion; mental health disorders are as real as physical conditions.

I would have been more impressed if these doctors had been able to identify these peoples real disorders. It is easy to discount someone having something, and as many of us know, much much harder to diagnose what people are really suffering from.

Yes we need to have caution when viewing the internet, but I yet have to meet anyone who self diagnosed a condition from YouTube! For any condition!