Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40527573›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Carbon footprint of a sample of clinical trials for people with neurological disorders: cross-sectional analysis.

Denise Cranley, Sarah Dunn, John-Paul Taylor, Michael Jr Desborough, Jennifer Craig, Nikola Sprigg, Rachel McComish, Thomas Foltynie, Joanna Wardlaw, Katherine Oatey and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 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.

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 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. 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

18 authors.

Denise CranleyEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5360-9950
Sarah DunnNewcastle Clinical Trials Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
John-Paul TaylorInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Michael Jr DesboroughNHS Blood and Transplant, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Jennifer CraigMental Health & Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Nikola SpriggDivision of Stroke Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Rachel McComishComprehensive Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK.
Thomas FoltynieInstitute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0752-1813
Joanna WardlawCentre for Clinical Brain Sciences & Brain Research Imaging Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Katherine OateyEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Anna HeyeEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Philip BathDivision of Stroke Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Karen InnesEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Lynn DinsmoreEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Jessica GriffithsInstitute of Cancer Research Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit (ICR-CTSU), London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-2406-3796
Lisa FoxInstitute of Cancer Research Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit (ICR-CTSU), London, UK.
Paula R WilliamsonBiostatistics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Rustam Al-Shahi SalmanEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK rustam.al-shahi@ed.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2108-9222

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo quantify the carbon footprint of a sample of clinical trials for neurological disorders.

designCross-sectional study.

methodTwo clinical trial registries were searched on 29 December 2022 for phase 2-4 randomised controlled trials led from and recruiting in the UK, enrolling people with any of the 15 neurological disorders with the highest global burden, that had started recruitment or been registered in the preceding 5 years. Eligible trials were invited to share data to estimate emissions in each of the 10 modules of the Low Carbon Clinical Trials footprinting guidance. The primary outcome measure was kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO

results318 randomised controlled trials were found, nine were eligible and six shared data (three completed and three ongoing). The module with the highest estimated CO

conclusionsEmissions by Clinical Trials Unit staff were the top modifiable carbon hotspot in six randomised controlled trials for people with neurological disorders, which had a total carbon footprint equivalent to 1364 passengers' return aeroplane journeys between London and Edinburgh.

Indexed as

Carbon FootprintNervous System DiseasesRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicCross-Sectional StudiesHumansUnited KingdomClimate ChangeClinical TrialNEUROLOGY

Identifiers

PMID40527573
PMCPMC12182044

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.