Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26250333›Full record

ReviewAlcoholism, clinical and experimental research2015

Recommendations for the Design and Analysis of Treatment Trials for Alcohol Use Disorders.

Katie Witkiewitz, John W Finney, Alex H S Harris, Daniel R Kivlahan, Henry R Kranzler

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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  13. A randomized trial of female-specific cognitive behavior therapy for alcohol dependent women.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2018
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  16. Missing Data Sensitivity Analyses for Alcohol Research.Alcohol, clinical & experimental research · 2026
    Article
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  18. Novel medications for problematic alcohol use.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Katie WitkiewitzDepartment of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
John W FinneyCenter for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California.
Alex H S HarrisCenter for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California.
Daniel R KivlahanVeterans Health Administration, Washington, District of Columbia.
Henry R KranzlerCenter for Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Funding

Precision Medicine and Recovery in a Telehealth Treatment Program for Alcohol Use DisorderR01AA022328 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO · PI Katie A Witkiewitz · 2013 to 2026
$3.1M
Pharmacogenetic Analysis of Topiramate Treatment of AUDR01AA023192 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI KRANZLER, HENRY RICHARD · 2014 to 2018
$2.7M
2/2 Pharmacogenetic Treatment for AlcoholismR01AA021164 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI KRANZLER, HENRY RICHARD, PETTINATI, HELEN M · 2012 to 2016
$2.1M
HSRD VA RCS 14-232NIAAA NIH HHS AA021164NIAAA NIH HHS AA022328NIAAA NIH HHS AA023192NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA021164NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA022328NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA023192
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOver the past 60 years, the view that "alcoholism" is a disease for which the only acceptable goal of treatment is abstinence has given way to the recognition that alcohol use disorders (AUDs) occur on a continuum of severity, for which a variety of treatment options are appropriate. However, because the available treatments for AUDs are not effective for everyone, more research is needed to develop novel and more efficacious treatments to address the range of AUD severity in diverse populations. Here we offer recommendations for the design and analysis of alcohol treatment trials, with a specific focus on the careful conduct of randomized clinical trials of medications and nonpharmacological interventions for AUDs.

methodsThis paper provides a narrative review of the quality of published clinical trials and recommendations for the optimal design and analysis of treatment trials for AUDs.

resultsDespite considerable improvements in the design of alcohol clinical trials over the past 2 decades, many studies of AUD treatments have used faulty design features and statistical methods that are known to produce biased estimates of treatment efficacy.

conclusionsThe published statistical and methodological literatures provide clear guidance on methods to improve clinical trial design and analysis. Consistent use of state-of-the-art design features and analytic approaches will enhance the internal and external validity of treatment trials for AUDs across the spectrum of severity. The ultimate result of this attention to methodological rigor is that better treatment options will be identified for patients with an AUD.

Indexed as

Alcohol-Related DisordersHumansMedication AdherenceRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResearch DesignStatistics as TopicAlcohol Randomized TrialsAlcohol Use DisorderData AnalysisEligibility CriteriaMissing Data ApproachesResearch Design

Identifiers

PMID26250333
PMCPMC4558228

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.