Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26415869›Full record

ArticleStatistics in medicine2016

Mastering variation: variance components and personalised medicine.

Stephen Senn

3 registry-linked trialsAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Statistics in medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 78 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
78citing papers in PubMed, 9 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.

NCT03771690 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

A Replicated Crossover Study to Explore Individual Variability of Appetite Responses to a Standardised Meal and Any Moderating Influence of the FTO Gene

TypeinterventionalSponsorLoughborough UniversityRan2018 to 2018Enrolled18ConditionsAppetitive Behavior, Obesity, Genetic Predisposition to DiseaseArmsStandardised meal
NCT05022498 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2019, after this paper: background citation

A Replicated Crossover Study Exploring Individual Variability of Postprandial Coronary Heart Disease Risk Markers and Sleep Quality in Response to Acute Exercise in Healthy Young Men

TypeinterventionalSponsorLoughborough UniversityRan2019 to 2021Enrolled20ConditionsCoronary Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Arterial Stiffness, Blood PressureArmsExercise
NCT07190989 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Inter-individual Variability of Sleep Outcome Measures in Response to Nutritional Blend Supplementation: a Replicate Crossover Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorAspire AcademyRan2025 to 2025Enrolled15ConditionsHealthyArmsNutritional Supplement, Maltodextrin (Placebo)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

78 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

1 author.

Stephen SennCompetence Centre for Methodology and Statistics, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-1445, Strassen, Luxembourg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7558-8473

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Various sources of variation in observed response in clinical trials and clinical practice are considered, and ways in which the corresponding components of variation might be estimated are discussed. Although the issues have been generally well-covered in the statistical literature, they seem to be poorly understood in the medical literature and even the statistical literature occasionally shows some confusion. To increase understanding and communication, some simple graphical approaches to illustrating issues are proposed. It is also suggested that reducing variation in medical practice might make as big a contribution to improving health outcome as personalising its delivery according to the patient. It is concluded that the common belief that there is a strong personal element in response to treatment is not based on sound statistical evidence.

Indexed as

Analysis of VarianceAsthmaBiostatisticsClinical Trials as TopicComputer GraphicsComputer SimulationCross-Over StudiesForced Expiratory VolumeHumansPrecision MedicineRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTonsillectomycomponents of variationcross-over trialsn-of-1 trialspersonalised medicinerandom effects

Identifiers

PMID26415869
PMCPMC5054923

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

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.