WRAP 1/2/3 Qs Flashcards
AIM:
We performed a study to assess whether neonatal hypertension is associated with maternal SSRI use during late pregnancy.
METHODS:
Between 1998 and 2003, we enrolled 377 women whose infants had hypertension and 836 matched control women and their infants. Maternal interviews were conducted by nurses, who were blinded, to establish medication use in pregnancy and potential confounders.
What kind of study design is being used?
Case study Case-control Cohort - prospective Cohort - retrospective Randomised control trial
Case-control
A study is performed to establish whether there is a correlation between BMI and the onset of type 2 diabetes. 1000 non-diabetic participants are recruited between the ages of 30 and 40 and their BMIs noted. They are monitored for 10 years and their diabetic status is recorded.
What kind of study design is being used? Case study Case-control Cohort - prospective Cohort - retrospective Randomised control trial
cohort- prospective
Observational studies can show significant correlation between variables (e.g. amount smoked and risk of lung cancer).
Which factor makes it hard for observational studies to establish cause and effect? Confounding variables Measurement inaccuracy Observer bias Sample variation Selection bias
confounding variables
Which of the following is the key difference between experimental and observational research?
Experimental research does not use correlation
Experimental research is not empirical
Experimental research manipulates variables
Observational research does not involve objective measurement
Observational research is not replicable
experimental research manipulates variables
When conducting a randomised controlled trial, what does the term randomisation mean?
-Neither the experimenter nor the participants know a participant’s assignment
-Participants are equally likely to be assigned to the intervention or control groups
-Participants are matched so that the groups differ on key variables
-Participants in the sample are representative of the population
pThe experimenter does not know a participant’s assignment
Participants are equally likely to be assigned to the intervention or control groups
A headmaster hears that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can increase the performance of under-achieving students.
He devises a trial where all pupils sit a progress test:
- Those whose score is more than one standard deviation below the mean are given CBT the following term.
- Another progress test is then sat by all the pupils.
The mean score for the CBT treated students is calculated and found to be much closer to the total mean score.
What is the simplest explanation of this result? CBT improves performance Regression to the mean CBT correlates with performance The second progress test is easier Placebo effect
Regression to the mean
The headmaster wants to do the study better
A headmaster hears that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can increase the performance of under-achieving students. Case study Case-control Cohort - prospective Cohort - retrospective Randomised control trial
RCT
The headmaster wants to do the study better
A headmaster hears that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can increase the performance of under-achieving students.
Who would you study?
All pupils
Under-achieving students
under-achieving student
According to Thomas Kuhn, a paradigm shift changes the way we view the world.
What happens to start the process of a paradigm shift?
Established scientists retire or die
Evidence contradicts current paradigm
A new theory is proposed
evidence contradicts current paradigm
You are monitoring levels of the retrovirus, HIV, in the blood of AIDS patients. You perform qPCR using primers specific for HIV sequences.
Which of the following steps comes first, when preparing your samples? Add qPCR primers Add reverse transcriptase Add dNTPs Add fluorescent probe Add anti-HIV antibody
adding RT
You compare the HIV titre of two patients. Following normalisation to a control reading, the ‘blue’ patient has a cycle threshold (Ct) of 12 cycles; the ‘red’ patient has a Ct of 15.3 cycles. 2 3.3 6.6 9.8 27.3
9.8
Cystic fibrosis suffers often suffer from bacterial lung infections. In order to determine if they are susceptible to infection by a particular bacterial species, you decide to analyse sputum samples from a sample of patients.
Which technique would provide the most information on which bacteria were present in the samples? PCR qPCR Next generation sequencing Electron microscopy Immuno-fluorescence
NGS
During a randomised control trial, allocation concealment should be used to assign participants to control or intervention groups.
Why is it used?
To blind the patient To blind the physician To ensure equal numbers in the groups To reduce drop-out To prevent selection bias
to prevent selection bias
You are performing a phase 1 clinical trial on a new drug for type 2 diabetes. The drug is proposed to work by increasing insulin sensitivity.
What should you measure? Insulin sensitivity Disease progression Drug safety Efficacy in mice Drug administration costs
drug safety
You are performing a phase 1 clinical trial on a new drug for type 2 diabetes. The drug is proposed to work by increasing insulin sensitivity.
What is a key feature of such a trial?
Participants must be randomised Patients must be healthy Patients must be diabetic The dose is increased sequentially An intention-to-treat analysis should be used
the dose is increased sequentially
