SynthesisJournal of evidence-based medicine2019
Sample sizes and statistical methods in interventional studies on individuals with spinal cord injury: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Journal of evidence-based medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sample sizes and statistical methods in interventional studies on individuals with spinal cord injury: A systematic review.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Statistical quality in RCTs of technology-based rehabilitation after spinal cord injury: A CHAMP-Based Meta-Research Study.Spinal cord · 2026Review
- Response to "Nanoformulated fingolimod for spinal cord injury: promising anti‑neuroinflammatory effects but unsubstantiated bioavailability claims".Spinal cord · 2026Article
- Synthetic cervical spine radiographs: expert validation and transfer learning for low-data settings.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2026Article
- Assistive Robotic Arm to Support Activities of Daily Living in Individuals With Tetraplegia: Protocol for a Real-World Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Article
- The temporal burden of preparing catheters for re-use in adults with spinal cord injury: a cross-sectional study.Spinal cord series and cases · 2023Article
- The Microbiological Burden of Short-Term Catheter Reuse in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Prospective Study.Biomedicines · 2023Article
- Effectiveness of Non-Contact Dietary Coaching in Adults with Diabetes or Prediabetes Using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Detection of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury Using a Smartphone.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Exploring the Lived Experiences of Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimPrevalence and incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI) are low. However, sample sizes have not been systematically examined yet, although this might represent useful information for study planning and power considerations. Therefore, our objective was to determine the median sample size in clinical trials on SCI individuals. Moreover, within small-sample size studies, statistical methods and awareness of potential problems regarding small samples were examined.
methodsWe systematically reviewed all studies on human SCI individuals published between 2014 and 2015, where the effect of an intervention on one or more health-related outcomes was assessed by means of a hypothesis test. If at least one group had a size <20, the study was classified as a small sample size study. PubMed was searched for eligible studies; subsequently, data on sample sizes and statistical methods were extracted and summarized descriptively.
resultsOut of 8897 studies 207 were included. Median total sample size was 18 (range 4-582). Small sample sizes were found in 167/207 (81%) studies, resulting limitations and implications for statistical analyses were mentioned in 109/167 (65%) studies.
conclusionsAlthough most recent SCI trials have been conducted with small samples, the consequences on statistical analysis methods and the validity of the results are rarely acknowledged.
Indexed as
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What 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.