PubMed · 7205348
Hypothesis testing in neurosurgical trials.
Abstract
Controlled clinical trials represent the most scientific methods of evaluating a new form of treatment. In designing such a trial, one must avoid committing two kinds of errors. The Type I error is defined as falsely concluding that a difference between two treatments exists, when they are equal. The Type II error is committed when one concludes that two treatments are the same, when a real difference exists. To reduce the probability of committing these errors, large sample sizes are required. A survey of neurosurgical trials showed that the majority of these trials have an unacceptably high probability of committing a Type II error because of inadequate sample size.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
N Sundaresan, R Voorhies, K L Kwok, H T Thaler. 1981. Hypothesis testing in neurosurgical trials.. https://doi.org/10.3171/jns.1981.54.4.0468
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.