Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30998774›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2019

Variability in the validity and reliability of outcome measures identified in a systematic review to assess treatment efficacy of cognitive enhancers for Alzheimer's Dementia.

Charlene Soobiah, Mina Tadrous, Sandra Knowles, Erik Blondal, Huda M Ashoor, Marco Ghassemi, Paul A Khan, Joanne Ho, Andrea C Tricco, Sharon E Straus

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic ReviewValidation Study
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 47% of its field
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Charlene SoobiahInstitute for Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Mina TadrousLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Sandra KnowlesLeslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Erik BlondalInstitute for Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Huda M AshoorLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Marco GhassemiLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Paul A KhanLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Joanne HoSchlegel Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, Ontario Canada.
Andrea C TriccoInstitute for Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Sharon E StrausInstitute for Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6106-832X
St. Michael's Hospital · CAResearch Institute for Aging · CASunnybrook Health Science Centre · CA

Funding

CIHR TGE-117529
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionSelection of optimal outcome measures is a critical step in a systematic review; inclusion of uncommon or non-validated outcome measures can impact the uptake of systematic review findings. Our goals were to identify the validity and reliability of outcome measures used in primary studies to assess cognition, function, behaviour and global status; and, to use these data to select outcomes for a systematic review (SR) on treatment efficacy of cognitive enhancers for Alzheimer's Dementia (AD).

methodsArticles fulfilling the eligibility criteria of the SR were included in a charting exercise to catalogue outcome measures reported. Outcome measures were then assessed for validity and reliability. Two independent reviewers abstracted data on outcome measures and validity and reliability reported for cognition, function, behaviour and global status.

results129 studies were included in the charting exercise; 57 outcome measures were identified for cognition, 21 for function, 13 for behaviour and 10 for global status. A total of 35 (61%) cognition measures, 10 (48%) functional measures, 8 (61%) behavioural measures and four (40%) of global status measures were only used once in the literature. Validity and reliability information was found for 51% of cognition measures, 90% of function and global status measures and 100% of behavioural measures.

conclusionsWhile a large number of outcome measures were used in primary studies, many of these were used only once. Reporting of validity and reliability varied in AD studies of cognitive enhancers. Core outcome sets should be used when available; when they are not available researchers need to balance frequency of reported outcome measures, their respective validity and reliability, and preferences of knowledge users. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: CRD#42012001948.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitionHumansNootropic AgentsTreatment OutcomeNootropic Agents

Identifiers

PMID30998774
PMCPMC6472754
OpenAlexW2940077608

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.