Assessment of Spin in Randomized Clinical Trials Related to the Use of Photobiomodulation for the Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis: A Meta-Epidemiological Study

This project consists of a meta-epidemiological study aimed at investigating the prevalence, types, and severity of spin in the scientific literature on the use of photobiomodulation for the prevention and/or treatment of oral mucositis in patients undergoing cancer treatment. The study will focus on randomized clinical trials whose primary outcomes do not show statistically significant results, seeking to identify potential distortions in the interpretation and presentation of scientific findings. Spin is characterized by the selective or biased use of scientific language to convey a favorable interpretation of research results, even when the data do not support conclusions of statistically significant efficacy. This practice may occur through the emphasis on statistically significant secondary outcomes, the highlighting of subgroup analyses, the omission of unfavorable results, or the use of conclusions that go beyond the findings actually demonstrated. The investigation will include an analysis of the abstracts and full texts of eligible clinical trials, considering that abstracts often represent the primary source of information for readers and, due to word count limitations, may favor the selective presentation of results. Comparing these two sections will make it possible to assess how study findings are communicated and whether discrepancies exist between the reported results and the authors' conclusions. By quantifying and classifying manifestations of spin, as well as assessing their severity, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the quality of scientific communication in the field of photobiomodulation applied to oral mucositis in oncology. The findings are expected to support discussions on transparency, methodological rigor, and integrity in scientific publishing, while reinforcing the importance of critically interpreting the available evidence for evidence-based clinical practice.