(Nature) – Jaw-dropping patient videos and miraculous testimonials ignited a frenzy in China over a technique that aims to improve drainage from the brain. Now it is entering trials worldwide.

Now, as controlled studies get under way around the world, the scientific community remains divided over whether or not the procedure actually alters the course of the disease. Mechanistic explanations for why the surgery might work remain hard to square with how quickly some individuals seem to improve, clinicians say. And many researchers remain concerned about the risks, including infection, bleeding and injury to nearby nerves.

Nature spoke to more than two dozen researchers in the field, revealing a mix of qualified enthusiasm and deep scepticism. (Read More)