At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms
Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) remain recalcitrant to the medical profession, proving less suitable for homogenic treatment with respect to their aetiology, taxonomy and diagnosis. While the majority of existing medical research methods are designed for large scale population data and sufficie...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
BioMed Central
2013
|
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2762/ |
| _version_ | 1848790869656731648 |
|---|---|
| author | Eriksen, Thor Eirik Kerry, Roger Mumford, Stephen Lie, Svein Anders Noer Anjum, Rani Lill |
| author_facet | Eriksen, Thor Eirik Kerry, Roger Mumford, Stephen Lie, Svein Anders Noer Anjum, Rani Lill |
| author_sort | Eriksen, Thor Eirik |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) remain recalcitrant to the medical profession, proving less suitable for homogenic treatment with respect to their aetiology, taxonomy and diagnosis. While the majority of existing medical research methods are designed for large scale population data and sufficiently homogenous groups, MUS are characterised by their heterogenic and complex nature. As a result, MUS seem to resist medical scrutiny in a way that other conditions do not. This paper approaches the problem of MUS from a philosophical point of view. The aim is to first consider the epistemological problem of MUS in a wider ontological and phenomenological context, particularly in relation to causation. Second, the paper links current medical practice to certain ontological assumptions. Finally, the outlines of an alternative ontology of causation are offered which place characteristic features of MUS, such as genuine complexity, context-sensitivity, holism and medical uniqueness at the centre of any causal set-up, and not only for MUS. This alternative ontology provides a framework in which to better understand complex medical conditions in relation to both their nature and their associated research activity. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:19:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-2762 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:19:28Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | BioMed Central |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-27622020-05-04T16:38:58Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2762/ At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms Eriksen, Thor Eirik Kerry, Roger Mumford, Stephen Lie, Svein Anders Noer Anjum, Rani Lill Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) remain recalcitrant to the medical profession, proving less suitable for homogenic treatment with respect to their aetiology, taxonomy and diagnosis. While the majority of existing medical research methods are designed for large scale population data and sufficiently homogenous groups, MUS are characterised by their heterogenic and complex nature. As a result, MUS seem to resist medical scrutiny in a way that other conditions do not. This paper approaches the problem of MUS from a philosophical point of view. The aim is to first consider the epistemological problem of MUS in a wider ontological and phenomenological context, particularly in relation to causation. Second, the paper links current medical practice to certain ontological assumptions. Finally, the outlines of an alternative ontology of causation are offered which place characteristic features of MUS, such as genuine complexity, context-sensitivity, holism and medical uniqueness at the centre of any causal set-up, and not only for MUS. This alternative ontology provides a framework in which to better understand complex medical conditions in relation to both their nature and their associated research activity. BioMed Central 2013-09-04 Article PeerReviewed Eriksen, Thor Eirik, Kerry, Roger, Mumford, Stephen, Lie, Svein Anders Noer and Anjum, Rani Lill (2013) At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, 8 (11). ISSN 1747-5341 http://www.peh-med.com/content/8/1/11 doi:10.1186/1747-5341-8-11 doi:10.1186/1747-5341-8-11 |
| spellingShingle | Eriksen, Thor Eirik Kerry, Roger Mumford, Stephen Lie, Svein Anders Noer Anjum, Rani Lill At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms |
| title | At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms |
| title_full | At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms |
| title_fullStr | At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms |
| title_full_unstemmed | At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms |
| title_short | At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms |
| title_sort | at the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2762/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2762/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2762/ |