ReviewNature reviews. Neuroscience2013
Power failure: why small sample size undermines the reliability of neuroscience.
Review in Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT05276583 (The Role of Memory Consolidation in Negative Memory Biases in Affective Disorders), which is not on this map. Cited by 2,963 papers, 23 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Role of Memory Consolidation in Negative Memory Biases in Affective Disorders
Who cites it
2,963 citing papers in PubMed, 23 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Neural correlates of acute task-related stress in humans: a systematic review and coordinate-based ALE meta-analysis.Brain imaging and behavior · 2026Pooled it
- The Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: A Meta-Analysis.Journal of oral rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
- TUDCA and 4-PBA in Preclinical Models of Beta-Cell Secretory Failure: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Auditory Sensitivity in Autism: A Systematic Review of Mismatch Negativity and Mismatch Field Responses.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Pooled it
- Brain Association Studies in 2024: A Systematic Review of Sample Sizes and Preregistrations.Psychophysiology · 2026Pooled it
- Brain Structural Abnormalities in Addiction Disorders: Transdiagnostic Meta-Analyses.Human brain mapping · 2026Pooled it
- A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Acute Sleep Deprivation on the Cortical Transcriptome in Rodent Models.Journal of sleep research · 2026Pooled it
- Mortality risk and causes of death in exogenous Cushing's syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Pooled it
- The Effects of Colostrum Bovinum Supplementation on Human Body Fat Content and/or Blood Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.Nutrients · 2026Pooled it
- GenAI-Supported Virtual Patients in Health Care Education: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Evaluating the clinical effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases using minimal clinically important difference: systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of pharmacal research · 2026Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Implicit Versus Explicit Social Skills Group Programs in Different Settings for School-Aged Autistic Children and Adolescents.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Brain Proteomic Responses to Glucocorticoids and Their Relationship With Transcriptome: A Systematic Meta-Analysis.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026Pooled it
- Heartbeat-Evoked Responses in M/EEG: A Systematic Review of Methods With Suggestions for Analysis and Reporting.Psychophysiology · 2026Pooled it
- Consistent cortico-basal ganglia-cerebellar activation in early motor sequence learning: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Translational psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Bayesian Estimation Improves Prediction of Outcomes After Epilepsy Surgery.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of Brief Mindfulness Meditation Interventions on Heart Rate Variability in Adults: A Systematic Review.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of concurrent training on body composition, metabolic, and inflammatory in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis.BMC women's health · 2026Pooled it
- Ethical challenges in EEG neurofeedback: a systematic review of gaps, risks, and responsibilities.BMC medical ethics · 2026Pooled it
- How is musical expertise related to executive functions? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychonomic bulletin & review · 2026Pooled it
2,903 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
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- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
A study with low statistical power has a reduced chance of detecting a true effect, but it is less well appreciated that low power also reduces the likelihood that a statistically significant result reflects a true effect. Here, we show that the average statistical power of studies in the neurosciences is very low. The consequences of this include overestimates of effect size and low reproducibility of results. There are also ethical dimensions to this problem, as unreliable research is inefficient and wasteful. Improving reproducibility in neuroscience is a key priority and requires attention to well-established but often ignored methodological principles.
Indexed as
Identifiers
23571845What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.