Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37606096›Full record

SynthesisEuropean stroke journal2023

Selective outcome reporting in randomised controlled trials including participants with stroke or transient ischaemic attack: A systematic review.

Mohshin Syed, Helena Martin, Emily S Sena, Paula R Williamson, Rustam Al-Shahi Salman

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European stroke journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 36% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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 at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Mohshin SyedMedical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2112-8383
Helena MartinMedical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Emily S SenaCentre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Paula R WilliamsonMRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership, Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Rustam Al-Shahi SalmanCentre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2108-9222
Medical Research Scotland · GBMRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine · GBUniversity of Liverpool · GB

Funding

British Heart Foundation CS/18/2/33719British Heart Foundation FS/13/72/30531British Heart Foundation PG/14/50/30891British Heart Foundation SP/12/2/29422Medical Research Council G1002605Medical Research Council MR/S014357/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe prevalence of outcome reporting bias (ORB, i.e. selective reporting according to the results observed) across primary outcomes in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) including participants with stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is unknown. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews on 3 February 2021 for reviews published 2008-2020 with at least one RCT of a therapeutic intervention, for participants with stroke or TIA, and a safety or efficacy outcome. We took a random sample of these RCTs and included those with a trial registry record or protocol published before reporting results. Two reviewers assessed discrepancies in outcome reporting across the trial registry record, protocol, statistical analysis plan, and publication for each RCT, using the classification system designed by the Outcome Reporting Bias in Trials group.

resultsOf 600 RCTs, we identified a trial registry record in 120 (20%), a protocol in 28 (5%), and a statistical analysis plan in 5 (1%) with 123 (21%) distinct RCTs being eligible for assessment: 110 (89%, 95% CI 83-94) were at no risk, 7 (6%, 95% CI 3-11) RCTs were at low risk, and 6 (5%, 95% CI 2-10) were at high risk of ORB. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of ORB in primary outcomes was low in stroke/TIA RCTs that were included in Cochrane reviews and had an identifiable trial registry record or protocol. Concerningly, we were unable to identify a trial registry record or protocol in most of our sample.

conclusionWork is needed to further reduce ORB in stroke/TIA RCTs and explore the generalisability of these findings to RCTs outside of Cochrane reviews or without a registry record or protocol, as well as to secondary outcomes.

Indexed as

Ischemic Attack, TransientStrokeBiasHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topicoutcome reporting biasrandomised controlled trialselective outcome reportingStroketransient ischaemic attack

Identifiers

PMID37606096
PMCPMC10683727
OpenAlexW4386047011

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.