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Talk:Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/WD claim investigation

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  • Concerns: Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Investigated URL(s): http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/adult_adhd/treatments.htm
  • Status:
    Resolved
  • Date Concluded: 27 May 2009
  • Conclusion: No infrigement from Wikipedia editors.

Summary Finding of Facts

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On 27 May 2009, a report indicated that this present page, subsections Treatment and Medication, might have been a copy off wrongdiagnosis.com (WD). Following an in-depth investigation in the context of the Wikiproject Copyright Cleanup, the following conclusions have been reached:

  • Infringement of the WD content by Wikipedia editor is extremely implausible.
  • Infringement of the Wikipedia content by WD is highly plausible.

Note that WD was, at the time of this investigation, missing any GFDL attribution notice towards the wikipedia article Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Evidence

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Detailed investigation overview

The beginning of the WD page under examination reads:

WD Text
The cornerstone of treatment for adult ADHD lies in a combination of medications and behavioural, cognitive, or vocational interventions.

In adults, treatments are individualized based on a particular's specific needs. Medications are only the beginning, but with the aid of various therapists, physicians, ADHD coaches, supportive friends & families, individuals with ADHD can achieve a "normal" function. Recent data suggest that carefully crafted stimulant therapy is more effective than behavioral therapy or regular community care.


The following language was introduced by User:CVZ in this diff, on 4 Feb 2009:

Wikipedia text
The cornerstone of treatment for adult ADHD lies in a combination of medications and behavioural, cognitive, or vocational interventions. Treatment often begins with medication selected to address the symptoms of ADHD, along with any comorbid conditions which may be present. Medications alone however are insufficient as they only aid in correcting the symptoms of ADHD, but do not correct the lack of skills that many of these adults failed to acquire because of these problems. The therapeutic process and learning about the illness provides much benefit in adults because these can be designed more collaboratively with mature individuals. For example being able to focus better does not automatically make one a better organizer or prioritizer, or improve their communication skills. These need to be learned once the underlying symptoms are treated.

In adults, treatments are individualized based on a particular's specific needs. Medications are only the beginning, but with the aid of various therapists, physicians, ADHD coaches, supportive friends & families, individuals with ADHD can achieve a "normal" function.

On 5 Feb 2009, User:Curious1i added one referenced sentence to CVZ's second paragraph quoted above, which now reads:

Wikipedia text

In adults, treatments are individualized based on a particular's specific needs. Medications are only the beginning, but with the aid of various therapists, physicians, ADHD coaches, supportive friends & families, individuals with ADHD can achieve a "normal" function.
Mindfulness (a form of meditation) can also help with ADHD (ref removed due to formatting errors, see diff).

On 10 February 2009 (diff), User:CVZ refactored these two paragraphs, which now read:

Wikipedia text
Treatment of adults also generally includes forms of stress or anxiety management. Because of a tendency to get frustrated and overwhelmed easily, and also because of the sheer amount of energy many ADHD individuals expend to live their daily lives, it is important to achieve balance between the mind and body. Regular, physical exercise is an important component of treatment for individuals with ADHD. The benefits of exercise are too numerous to list here. Various forms of meditation and biofeedback may also be of benefit. Mindfulness (a form of meditation) can also help with ADHD(ref removed due to formatting errors, see diff).

This new paragraph, inculding the addition from User:Curious1i, is also present in the WD text, but much further down, in what would be Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder#Medication on Wikipedia. On 30 April 2009(diff), User:Litteraturegeek removed the paragraph starting with "in adults" from Wikipedia. Finally, in what is the Medication section on Wikipedia, User:Jmh649 created the following language, fully referenced, on 21 November 2008, 4 months before the other above mentionned users would perform the alleged copy:

Wikipedia text

In the short term, methylphenidate (Ritalin) is well tolerated however long term safety has not been determined in adults and there are concerns about increases in blood pressure in those treated.[1]

One can find the same language on WD:

WD
METHYLPHENIDATE: is often the first line therapy. In the short term, methylphenidate is well tolerated however long term safety has not been determined in adults and there are concerns about increases in blood pressure in those treated. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) are effective in improving attention and concentration, and in reducing impulsivity in adults with ADHD.

That same section had been refactored by User:CVZ in his overhaul on February 4, 2009 to read:

Wikipedia text
Methylphenidate is often the first line therapy. In the short term, methylphenidate is well tolerated however long term safety has not been determined in adults and there are concerns about increases in blood pressure in those treated.[2] Again, careful discussion with the treating physician and good clinical judgment are important to decide on the most appropriate therapy.

Based upon the examination of these two sections, my observations are:

  • It is highly unlikely that several wikipedia editors would have lifted different portions of text from the exact same source, which is quoted nowhere in the wikipedia article, over a 4 month intervall.
  • Editors proficient enough with Wikipedia's policies on reliable sources and verifiability to know that key sections must be referenced or be challenged for removal are highly unlikely to have gone through the extremes of finding 3rd-party sources independent of WD, in particular from peer-reviewed journals as is the case for the methylphenidate section.
  • The presence of the specifier (Ritalin) on methylphenidate in WD, User:Jmh649 had it in a different place, and User:CVZ removed it altogether. No mention of Dexedrine has ever existed on Wikipedia.
  • Under the scenario that User:CVZ would have lifted contents off WD, the addition of Mindfulness (with independent sourcing) by User:Curiouser1i on the following day, completely out of place compared to the WD version, is extremely improbably
  • Under that same hypothesis, putting that Mindfulness sentence together with the corresponding paragraph found on WD but positioning the complete paragraph at a much earlier point of the article on February 10th is also highly implausible.
Under these circumstances, my conclusion is that the wikipedia editors mentioned here are the orginial authors of the entire material in the sections under consideration, including the corresponding research and appropriate sourcing efforts. Between February 5th and 10th, it is my conviction that the entire text was copied to WD and stripped of wiki markup. A second, partial addition was then made after April 30th to update some of the material.

--MLauba (talk) 13:51, 28 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

  1. ^ Godfrey J (2008). "Safety of therapeutic methylphenidate in adults: a systematic review of the evidence". J. Psychopharmacol. (Oxford). doi:10.1177/0269881108089809. PMID 18515459. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Godfrey J (2008). "Safety of therapeutic methylphenidate in adults: a systematic review of the evidence". J. Psychopharmacol. (Oxford). doi:10.1177/0269881108089809. PMID 18515459. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
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