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

 

Chapter 1: Clinical Trials of Pain Treatment: Placebo Effects: Problem 2.2
         What is your interpretation?

You answered:

Selection A   Although there is a statistically significant result, a reduction of pain by an average of 20% is not clinically significant.

INCORRECT

Experts debate the magnitude of pain reduction that is clinically significant enough to merit regulatory approval or commercial success. In the well-studied case of neuropathic pain, drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants and gabapentin are commonly used despite a high frequency of troublesome side effects and an average reduction in pain of about 20-30% beyond a placebo. Lesser degrees of pain reduction would probably be acceptable from drugs with fewer side effects.

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