Prevention of Research Results Distortion in the Field of Biological Psychiatry
https://doi.org/10.17803/lexgen-2025-4-4-110-121
Abstract
Measures to prevent bias in personalized psychiatry research include strict data control, transparency of all procedures (from obtaining signed informed consent from patients with mental disorders to administering information transfer processes between departments within one or more research institutions), adherence to ethical standards, and a multi-level system of checks and audits. The specific nature of personalized psychiatry, based on individual data (genetics, biomarkers, lifestyle data), requires special attention to the integrity and reliability of the information. This article presents a review of international experience and, on this basis, advances proposals for preventing potential bias in the results of medical and biological research on mental functions. Distortions can occur at various stages of research – from poor collection and systematization of material, errors in entering data into tables (due to carelessness or lack of automation of this process) to intentional changes in the results through technical manipulation of microscopy images.
Supporting agencies: This research was partially conducted as part of the project «Assessing the Risks of Metabolic Disorders Taking into Account Indicators of Systemic Inflammation in Patients with Mental Disorders», EGISU NIOKTR reg. No. XSOZ 2024 0012.
About the Authors
N. V. Zakharova
Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology; Samara State Medical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Natalia V. Zakharova, Candidate Science (Medicine), Leading Researcher, Institute of Personalized Psychiatry and Neurology; Leading Expert
Saint Petersburg
Samara
M. Bocharova
King’s College London
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Mariia Bocharova, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience
London
A. Ya. Gayduk
Samara State Medical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Arseniy Ya. Gayduk, Acting Director of the Scientific and Educational Center for Neuropsychiatry
Samara
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For citations:
Zakharova N.V., Bocharova M., Gayduk A.Ya. Prevention of Research Results Distortion in the Field of Biological Psychiatry. Lex Genetica. 2025;4(4):110-121. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17803/lexgen-2025-4-4-110-121
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