The current approach to assessing the quality of evidence obtained from clinical trials focuses on three dimensions: the quality of the design (with double-blinded randomised controlled trials representing the highest level of such design); the statistical power (beta) and the level of significance (alpha). While these aspects are important, we argue that other significant aspects of trial qual...

BACKGROUND Database systems have been developed to store data from large medical trials and survey studies. However, a reliable data storage system does not guarantee data entering reliability.We aimed to evaluate if double-blind control of the data manager might have any effect on data-reliability. Our secondary aim was to assess the influence of the inserting position in the insertion-sheet o...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the continued safety and durability of clinical response in patients with ankylosing spondylitis receiving etanercept. METHODS 277 patients who had participated in a previous randomised, double blind, placebo controlled 24 week trial were eligible to continue in this open label extension study. All patients who enrolled in the open label extension (n = 257) received subc...

background: dental anxiety is a relatively frequent problem that can lead to more serious problems such as a child entering a vicious cycle as he/she becomes reluctant to accept the required dental treatments. the aim of this randomized double-blind clinical trial study was to evaluate the anxiolytic and sedative effect of pregabalin in children. materials and methods: twenty-fi ve children wer...

Due to the lack of an appropriate placebo, the general scientific society has questioned studies on the effects of acupuncture. The double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is said to be the gold standard for showing that a treatment has a specific effect over placebo. But acu‐ puncture treatments undoubtedly involve placebo effects. In order to support the study of acupuncture’s effects...

purpose: to compare the outcomes of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (dalk) using the big-bubble technique with that of penetrating keratoplasty (pk) in patients with keratoconus. methods: this double-blind clinical trial included patients with moderate to advanced keratoconus and poor spectacle-corrected visual acuity or contact lens intolerance. refractive errors, best corrected visual acu...

background: intracerebral hemorrhage (ich) is a stroke type which resulted in disability. memantine have been supposed to have the effect on the functional status in patients with ich. objectives: comparing the effect of memantine with placebo on the clinical outcome of ich. materials and methods: this double-blind clinical trial was conducted in an academic hospital in northern iran on patien...