TBL 1 - Dysphagia

Question 1

What esophageal dysmotility disorders are higher prevalence in patients with spinal cord injuries?

Answer 1

Achalasia
Gastroesophageal Jxn Outlfow Obstruction
Hypercontractile Esophagus
Weak or failed peristalsis

Question 2

Please give a simple definition for these types of study designs:
Case-­control study­: 
Cross-­sectional study:­ 
Cohort study:­ 
Randomized Controlled Trial:­ 
Meta­Analysis:­

Answer 2

Case-­control study­: Observational study comparing group with and without disease to identify risk factors
Cross-­sectional study:­ assess frequency of disease at a particular point in time
Cohort study:­ compares group with exposure to group without, to assess what will happen
Randomized Controlled Trial:­ compare therapeutic benefits of an intervention
Meta­Analysis:­ Pools data from several studies

Question 3

What does relevance, validity, and significance mean in regards to a research paper?

Answer 3

Relevance: Feasibility of test or intervention. Clear link between study subjects and target population

Validity: Appropriateness of study design - blinding, randomizations, sample size, covariates, etc.

Significance: How large of a difference was found? Measured statistical significance of results