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PHAR 490: Molecular Neuropharmacology: Study Types

Study Types

The study types below are the basic types of analytical medical studies you'll find that compare one group to another. Beyond the suggested readings for each study type listed below, consider reading the following:

Population and Case-Control Studies

Population Comparisons or Ecological Studies (observational study type - you observe what happens or has happened):

With the above study type, populations are compared without having individual-specific information. For example, a population with a known higher prevalence of a risk factor may be compared to a population with less prevalence of a risk factor to determine if there is a higher rate of a disease that is observed in the population with higher risk factor(s). This will indicate if there is a group association, without knowing specifically which individuals had the specific outcome, and may be a gateway study indicating need for a future study to prove the hypothesis.

Example:

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Case-Control Studies or Retrospective Studies (observational study type)

With the above study type, retrospective means that researchers look back in time, and have both a control and a study comparison. This means that individuals are identified who meet certain criteria - they do or do not have a specific condition, and are compared to evaluate if there is an association with a past exposure to certain variable(s) that may be related to the condition being studied.

Example:

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Cohort and Randomized Controlled Trials

Cohort or Prospective Studies (observational study-type):

Study groups (test subjects and controls) are assigned to groups based on known status (shared common characteristics, such as hypothesized risk factor) and followed through time to determine cohort outcomes, such as prevalence of disease being studied in each group. These are prospective studies [moving forward in time].  The study and control groups are identified based on specified common characteristics prior to the researcher knowing the outcome (presence of absence of condition). 

Example:

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Randomized Controlled Trials (experimental study type):

With the above study type, a study and control group are randomly assigned to their experimental group. Ideally the study is double-blinded, meaning neither the study participants or researchers know the experimental group assignment. Single-blinded means the study participants do not know their group assignment, for example, they may be receiving a placebo rather than the actual medication. *Randomized Controlled Trials may also be referred to as Randomized Clinical Trials. As pharmacists, you are aware of the necessity of Clinical Trials for FDA drug approval; however, not all Clinical Trials are Randomized!

Example:

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