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Trial Design: Pain Sections
Author Bio
Introduction
Placebo Effects
Single Dose Trials
Repeated Dose Trials
Currently selected section:  Explanatory Versus Pragmatic
Dose-Response
Parallel Group Versus Crossover
Conclusion
 

Chapter 1: Clinical Trials of Pain Treatment: Explanatory Versus Pragmatic
 
     

As an illustration of how these approaches to design differ, consider a hypothetical analgesic that animal studies had shown to be effective for pain caused by lesions of viscera. As discussed in the Introduction to this chapter, some basic scientists think that the processing of visceral pain may differ in some ways from processing of pain from other sources. A team of oncologists is considering various approaches to studying a new analgesic in patients with visceral pain related to cancer.

Instructions

For each of the following design choices, click on either "explanatory" or "pragmatic" to indicate the predominant stance implied. You must select an answer for both parts of each question. Click the answer button and you will be told whether your answer is correct or incorrect.

Problem 5.1
Patient selection

Patients must have documented radiological evidence of a tumor impinging on a hollow viscus corresponding to an area where they complain of poorly localized, crampy pain. Patients are ineligible if there is a lesion of somatic tissues such as ribs or abdominal wall, or if their pain complaint includes superficial and steady pain.

 
EXPLANATORY PRAGMATIC
 
Patients are eligible if they have a diagnosis of metastatic cancer and their primary complaint is of crampy abdominal pain in the absence of obvious gastrointestinal disorders unrelated to cancer.
 
EXPLANATORY PRAGMATIC
 
Answer
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