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Questionable science and reproducibility in electrical brain stimulation research.

Martin E Héroux1,2, Colleen K Loo3,4,5, Janet L Taylor1,2

  • 1Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.

Plos One
|April 27, 2017
PubMed
Summary

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Researchers struggle to reproduce electrical brain stimulation (EBS) findings, with many admitting to questionable research practices. This highlights a need for more rigorous methods in EBS research to ensure reliable results.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Electrical brain stimulation (EBS) is increasingly used for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
  • Published EBS literature often shows positive results, but real-world reproducibility is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the reproducibility of published electrical brain stimulation (EBS) effects.
  • To investigate the prevalence of questionable research practices (QRPs) in EBS studies.

Main Methods:

  • An online survey was distributed to 976 researchers in the EBS field.
  • A systematic audit of 100 randomly selected published EBS papers was conducted.
  • Survey data from 154 researchers and audit findings were analyzed.

Main Results:

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Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

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  • Only 45-50% of researchers could routinely reproduce published EBS results.
  • Discrepancies exist between reported methods for determining sample size and audit findings (e.g., power calculations).
  • A significant percentage of researchers admitted to or were aware of QRPs, such as selective outcome reporting and statistical adjustments.

Conclusions:

  • Questionable research practices and poor reproducibility are prevalent in electrical brain stimulation (EBS) research.
  • The perceived effectiveness of EBS may be overestimated due to these issues.
  • A more rigorous and transparent approach is needed to develop reliable EBS methods.