Trial reportPloS one2014
Comparison of results from different imputation techniques for missing data from an anti-obesity drug trial.
Trial report in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 42 citations in OpenAlex.
- Methodological survey of missing outcome data in an alteplase for ischemic stroke meta-analysis.Acta neurologica Scandinavica · 2022Pooled it
- General health checks in adults for reducing morbidity and mortality from disease.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Exercise for treating patellofemoral pain syndrome.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Body composition changes during weight reduction with tirzepatide in the SURMOUNT-1 study of adults with obesity or overweight.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2025Trial
- Feasibility and Potential Effectiveness of a Smartphone Zero-Time Exercise Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity and Fitness in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Frontiers in public health · 2022Trial
- Efficacy of an exoskeleton-based physical therapy program for non-ambulatory patients during subacute stroke rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2021Trial
- A randomised controlled trial of the 5:2 diet.PloS one · 2021Trial
- Trial
- Article
- Article
- Missing outcome data in randomised clinical trials of psychological interventions: a review of published trial reports in major psychiatry journals.BMC psychiatry · 2024Review
- Combined Effects of Glenohumeral Mobilization, Stretching, and Thoracic Manipulation on Shoulder Internal Rotation Range of Motion.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2024Article
- Relationship Between Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Glycemia Among Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes and Overweight or Obesity: Results from the Advancing Care for Type 1 Diabetes and Obesity Network (ACT1ON) Study.Diabetes technology & therapeutics · 2022Article
- Addressing Missing Data in GC × GC Metabolomics: Identifying Missingness Type and Evaluating the Impact of Imputation Methods on Experimental Replication.Analytical chemistry · 2022Article
- A latent class based imputation method under Bayesian quantile regression framework using asymmetric Laplace distribution for longitudinal medication usage data with intermittent missing values.Journal of biopharmaceutical statistics · 2020Article
- DIABRISK-SL trial: further consideration of age and impact of imputations.BMC medicine · 2019Article
- The Sin of Missing Data: Is All Forgiven by Way of Imputation?Global spine journal · 2018Article
- Many Flavors of Model-Based Meta-Analysis: Part II - Modeling Summary Level Longitudinal Responses.CPT: pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology · 2018Review
- When and how should multiple imputation be used for handling missing data in randomised clinical trials - a practical guide with flowcharts.BMC medical research methodology · 2017Article
- Cancer patient age and family caregiver bereavement outcomes.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn randomised trials of medical interventions, the most reliable analysis follows the intention-to-treat (ITT) principle. However, the ITT analysis requires that missing outcome data have to be imputed. Different imputation techniques may give different results and some may lead to bias. In anti-obesity drug trials, many data are usually missing, and the most used imputation method is last observation carried forward (LOCF). LOCF is generally considered conservative, but there are more reliable methods such as multiple imputation (MI).
objectivesTo compare four different methods of handling missing data in a 60-week placebo controlled anti-obesity drug trial on topiramate.
methodsWe compared an analysis of complete cases with datasets where missing body weight measurements had been replaced using three different imputation methods: LOCF, baseline carried forward (BOCF) and MI.
results561 participants were randomised. Compared to placebo, there was a significantly greater weight loss with topiramate in all analyses: 9.5 kg (SE 1.17) in the complete case analysis (N = 86), 6.8 kg (SE 0.66) using LOCF (N = 561), 6.4 kg (SE 0.90) using MI (N = 561) and 1.5 kg (SE 0.28) using BOCF (N = 561).
conclusionsThe different imputation methods gave very different results. Contrary to widely stated claims, LOCF did not produce a conservative (i.e., lower) efficacy estimate compared to MI. Also, LOCF had a lower SE than MI.
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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.