Types of Study

Question 1

RCTs pros and cons

-main method of measurement

Answer 1

Pros

• If randomisation is done properly, small variations in participant characteristics should not have a significant effect on results
• good evidence of causality as a result of this

Cons

• expensive
• many people needed
• not always possible if an intervention/lack of intervention is unethical

Main method of measurement - difference in outcomes

Question 2

Cohort study pros and cons

-main method of measurement

Answer 2

Pros

• good for studying rare exposures
• can determine timeline
• can collect info on multiple exposures

Cons

• expensive
• many people needed for long periods of time => atrrition
• not useful for rare diseases

Main method of measurement - relative risk
-risk of disease in exposed/risk of disease in non exposed

1+ exposure increases risk
1- exposure decreases risk
1 no difference in disease risk

Question 3

Case control study pros and cons

-main method of measurement

Answer 3

Pros

• good for rare disease
• cheap

Cons

• not good for rare exposures
• low number of subjects
• difficulty finding similar controls
• recall bias of participants

Main method of measurement - odds ratio
-odds of being exposed (cases)/odds of being not exposed (control)

1+ exposure associated with outcome
1- exposure protective of disease
1 no association

Question 4

Laboratory animal studies pros and cons

-main method of measurement

Answer 4

Follows cell studies

Conducted before human intervention to test for safety
-mice, fish, pigs
Evaluate toxicity
Development of side effects

Followed by human studies

Pros

• preempt adverse reactions in living organisms before exposing a human to intervention
• can follow PK, PD processes in multiple organs

Cons

• use of animals can be unethical
• reactions in animals can differ from reactions in humans

Question 5

Laboratory cell studies pros and cons

-main method of measurement

Answer 5

Conducted in a cell population of interest
-specific cellular mechanisms and pathways involved in disease
Select drugs that may help in treating a disease

Pros
-large scale screening and testing

Cons

• difficult to control
• difficult to capture human physiology