Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34841910›Full record

ArticleClinical trials (London, England)2022

Methodological challenges in pragmatic trials in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: Opportunities for improvement.

Monica Taljaard, Fan Li, Bo Qin, Caroline Cui, Leyi Zhang, Stuart G Nicholls, Kelly Carroll, Susan L Mitchell

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical trials (London, England), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 12% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Monica TaljaardClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3978-8961
Fan LiDepartment of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6183-1893
Bo QinDepartment of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Caroline CuiDepartment of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Leyi ZhangDepartment of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Stuart G NichollsClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Kelly CarrollClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Susan L MitchellHebrew Senior Life Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Boston, MA, USA.
Yale University · USOttawa Hospital · CAHebrew SeniorLife · USUniversity of Ottawa · CA

Funding

Training Core (I)U54AG063546 · NIA · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI JOSEPH E. GAUGLER · 2019 to 2026
$125.9M
Yale Clinical and Translational Science Award (U Component)UL1TR001863 · NCATS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI John H. Krystal, LUCILA OHNO-MACHADO · 2016 to 2026
$102.9M
CIHR PJT-153045NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001863NIA NIH HHS U54 AG063546
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsWe need more pragmatic trials of interventions to improve care and outcomes for people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. However, these trials present unique methodological challenges in their design, analysis, and reporting-often, due to the presence of one or more sources of clustering. Failure to account for clustering in the design and analysis can lead to increased risks of Type I and Type II errors. We conducted a review to describe key methodological characteristics and obtain a "baseline assessment" of methodological quality of pragmatic trials in dementia research, with a view to developing new methods and practical guidance to support investigators and methodologists conducting pragmatic trials in this field.

methodsWe used a published search filter in MEDLINE to identify trials more likely to be pragmatic and identified a subset that focused on people living with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias or included them as a defined subgroup. Pairs of reviewers extracted descriptive information and key methodological quality indicators from each trial.

resultsWe identified

conclusionThere is a need and opportunity to improve the design, analysis, and reporting of pragmatic trials in dementia research. Investigators should pay attention to the potential presence of one or more sources of clustering. While methods for longitudinal and cluster randomized trials are well developed, accessible resources and new methods for dealing with multiple sources of clustering are required. Involvement of a statistician with expertise in longitudinal and clustered designs is recommended.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseasePragmatic Clinical Trials as TopicCaregiversCluster AnalysisHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResearch DesignResearch ReportAlzheimer’s diseaseCluster randomized trialsdementiaintracluster correlationlongitudinal data analysismissing datamultilevel modelingpragmatic trials

Identifiers

PMID34841910
PMCPMC8847324
OpenAlexW3215679127

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.