Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Practice Questions and MCQs
Practice US Medical PG questions for Blinding techniques and levels. These multiple choice questions (MCQs) cover important concepts and help you prepare for your exams.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 1: A pharmaceutical company conducts a randomized clinical trial to demonstrate that their new anticoagulant drug, Aclotsaban, prevents more thrombotic events following total knee arthroplasty than the current standard of care. A significant number of patients are lost to follow-up, and many fail to complete treatment according to the study arm to which they were assigned. Despite these protocol deviations, the results for the patients who completed the course of Aclotsaban are encouraging. Which of the following analytical approaches is most appropriate for the primary analysis to establish the efficacy of Aclotsaban?
- A. Intention-to-treat analysis (Correct Answer)
- B. Sub-group analysis
- C. Per-protocol analysis
- D. As-treated analysis
- E. Non-inferiority analysis
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***Intention-to-treat analysis***
- **Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis** is the gold standard for the **primary analysis in superiority trials** and includes all patients in the groups to which they were originally randomized, regardless of protocol deviations, loss to follow-up, or treatment discontinuation.
- ITT preserves **randomization balance**, prevents bias from selective dropout (patients may drop out due to adverse effects or lack of efficacy), and provides a **conservative, realistic estimate** of treatment effect in actual clinical practice.
- For **regulatory approval and establishing efficacy**, ITT is the most appropriate primary analysis method even when dropout rates are high, as it maintains the integrity of the randomized comparison.
*Per-protocol analysis*
- **Per-protocol analysis** includes only patients who completed the study exactly as planned without protocol deviations.
- While the encouraging results in completers are noted, per-protocol analysis can **introduce significant bias** by excluding patients who dropped out due to adverse events or lack of efficacy, potentially **overestimating treatment benefit**.
- Per-protocol is typically used as a **secondary/supportive analysis**, not the primary method for establishing superiority.
*As-treated analysis*
- **As-treated analysis** categorizes patients according to the treatment they actually received rather than their randomized assignment.
- This violates the principle of randomization and can introduce **confounding bias**, as actual treatment received may be influenced by prognostic factors.
*Sub-group analysis*
- **Sub-group analysis** evaluates treatment effects within specific patient subsets.
- This is **hypothesis-generating** rather than confirmatory and increases the risk of false-positive findings (multiple comparisons problem) unless pre-specified in the protocol.
*Non-inferiority analysis*
- **Non-inferiority analysis** tests whether a new treatment is not worse than control by more than a pre-specified margin.
- The goal here is to demonstrate **superiority** (better than standard care), not non-inferiority, making this approach inappropriate.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 2: An investigator is measuring the blood calcium level in a sample of female cross country runners and a control group of sedentary females. If she would like to compare the means of the two groups, which statistical test should she use?
- A. Chi-square test
- B. Linear regression
- C. t-test (Correct Answer)
- D. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance)
- E. F-test
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***t-test***
- A **t-test** is appropriate for comparing the means of two independent groups, such as the blood calcium levels between runners and sedentary females.
- It assesses whether the observed difference between the two sample means is statistically significant or occurred by chance.
*Chi-square test*
- The **chi-square test** is used to analyze categorical data to determine if there is a significant association between two variables.
- It is not suitable for comparing continuous variables like blood calcium levels.
*Linear regression*
- **Linear regression** is used to model the relationship between a dependent variable (outcome) and one or more independent variables (predictors).
- It aims to predict the value of a variable based on the value of another, rather than comparing means between groups.
*ANOVA (Analysis of Variance)*
- **ANOVA** is used to compare the means of **three or more independent groups**.
- Since there are only two groups being compared in this scenario, a t-test is more specific and appropriate.
*F-test*
- The **F-test** is primarily used to compare the variances of two populations or to assess the overall significance of a regression model.
- While it is the basis for ANOVA, it is not the direct test for comparing the means of two groups.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 3: An experiment to determine the effects of gravity on blood pressure is conducted on 3 individuals of equal height and blood pressure oriented in different positions in space. Participant A is strapped in a supine position on a bed turned upside down in a vertical orientation with his head towards the floor and his feet towards the ceiling. Participant B is strapped in a supine position on a bed turned downwards in a vertical orientation with his head towards the ceiling and his feet just about touching the floor. Participant C is strapped in a supine position on a bed in a horizontal orientation. Blood pressure readings are then taken at the level of the head, heart, and feet from all 3 participants. Which of these positions will have the lowest recorded blood pressure reading?
- A. Participant B: at the level of the feet
- B. Participant A: at the level of the head
- C. Participant C: at the level of the heart
- D. Participant A: at the level of the feet (Correct Answer)
- E. Participant C: at the level of the feet
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***Participant A: at the level of the feet***
- In Participant A, the feet are positioned **highest vertically** relative to the heart and are also above the head due to the upside-down vertical orientation. Due to gravity, blood pressure decreases with increasing height above the heart.
- This position would result in the lowest hydrostatic pressure at the feet, leading to the **lowest recorded blood pressure reading**.
*Participant B: at the level of the feet*
- In Participant B, the feet are positioned **below the heart** (towards the floor) in a vertical orientation.
- This position would experience some of the **highest hydrostatic pressure** due to gravity, leading to a high blood pressure reading, not the lowest.
*Participant A: at the level of the head*
- In Participant A, the head is positioned **below the heart** (towards the floor) in an upside-down vertical orientation.
- This position would experience increased hydrostatic pressure, hence a **higher blood pressure** compared to the feet.
*Participant C: at the level of the heart*
- Participant C is in a horizontal position, meaning all body parts are at roughly the same hydrostatic level relative to the heart.
- Blood pressure readings would be **similar across all points** (head, heart, feet) and would reflect the systemic arterial pressure without significant hydrostatic effects, thus not the lowest compared to other extreme positions.
*Participant C: at the level of the feet*
- In Participant C (horizontal), the feet are at approximately the **same hydrostatic level** as the heart.
- The reading at the feet in this position would be close to the **baseline arterial pressure**, not the lowest, as there's minimal hydrostatic gradient.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 4: An academic medical center in the United States is approached by a pharmaceutical company to run a small clinical trial to test the effectiveness of its new drug, compound X. The company wants to know if the measured hemoglobin a1c (Hba1c) of patients with type 2 diabetes receiving metformin and compound X would be lower than that of control subjects receiving only metformin. After a year of study and data analysis, researchers conclude that the control and treatment groups did not differ significantly in their Hba1c levels.
However, parallel clinical trials in several other countries found that compound X led to a significant decrease in Hba1c. Interested in the discrepancy between these findings, the company funded a larger study in the United States, which confirmed that compound X decreased Hba1c levels. After compound X was approved by the FDA, and after several years of use in the general population, outcomes data confirmed that it effectively lowered Hba1c levels and increased overall survival. What term best describes the discrepant findings in the initial clinical trial run by institution A?
- A. Type I error
- B. Hawthorne effect
- C. Type II error (Correct Answer)
- D. Publication bias
- E. Confirmation bias
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***Type II error***
- A **Type II error** occurs when a study fails to **reject a false null hypothesis**, meaning it concludes there is no significant difference or effect when one actually exists.
- In this case, the initial US trial incorrectly concluded that Compound X had no significant effect on HbA1c, while subsequent larger studies and real-world data proved it did.
*Type I error*
- A **Type I error** (alpha error) occurs when a study incorrectly **rejects a true null hypothesis**, concluding there is a significant difference or effect when there isn't.
- This scenario describes the opposite: the initial study failed to find an effect that genuinely existed, indicating a Type II error, not a Type I error.
*Hawthorne effect*
- The **Hawthorne effect** is a type of reactivity in which individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed.
- This effect does not explain the initial trial's failure to detect a real drug effect; rather, it relates to participants changing behavior due to study participation itself.
*Publication bias*
- **Publication bias** occurs when studies with positive or statistically significant results are more likely to be published than those with negative or non-significant results.
- While relevant to the literature as a whole, it doesn't explain the discrepancy in findings within a single drug's development where a real effect was initially missed.
*Confirmation bias*
- **Confirmation bias** is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.
- This bias would likely lead researchers to *find* an effect if they expected one, or to disregard data that contradicts their beliefs, which is not what happened in the initial trial.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 5: A 52-year-old man presents to the office for a regular health checkup. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus 6 years ago and has been taking metformin alone. Over the past year, his daily blood glucose measurements have gradually been increasing. During his previous visit, his HbA1c level was 7.9% and the doctor mentioned the possibility of requiring an additional medication to keep his blood sugar under better control. Today, his HbA1c is 9%. The doctor mentions a research article that has been conducted on a randomized and controlled group of 200 subjects studying a new anti-diabetic medication. It has been shown to significantly reduce glucose levels and HbA1c levels compared to the current gold standard treatment. Possible adverse effects, however, are still being studied, though the authors believe that they will be minimal. In this study, what would most likely increase the chances of detecting a significant adverse effect?
- A. Decreasing post-market surveillance time
- B. Non-randomization
- C. Decreasing sample size
- D. Increasing selection bias
- E. Increasing sample size (Correct Answer)
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***Increasing sample size***
- A **larger sample size** increases the **statistical power** of a study, making it more likely to detect a real difference or effect, including rare adverse events.
- With more participants, there's a higher chance of observing adverse effects that might only occur in a small percentage of individuals.
*Decreasing post-market surveillance time*
- **Post-market surveillance** occurs *after* a drug is approved and involves monitoring thousands, or even millions, of patients for adverse events.
- **Decreasing** this time would *reduce* the likelihood of detecting rare or long-term adverse effects, as the exposure period and number of observed patients would be smaller.
*Non-randomization*
- **Non-randomization** can introduce **confounding variables** and **bias**, making it difficult to attribute observed effects solely to the medication.
- While it might reveal an association, it doesn't necessarily strengthen the ability to precisely identify significant adverse effects versus other contributing factors.
*Decreasing sample size*
- A **smaller sample size** reduces the **statistical power** of a study, making it less likely to detect a true difference or effect, especially for uncommon adverse events.
- Rare adverse effects are less likely to be observed in a small group of participants.
*Increasing selection bias*
- **Selection bias** occurs when the study participants are not representative of the general population or when groups are not comparable, leading to skewed results.
- This bias can *obscure* or *misrepresent* the true incidence of adverse effects, making accurate detection more difficult, rather than increasing it.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 6: A clinical trial is conducted to determine the efficacy of ginkgo biloba in the treatment of Parkinson disease. A sample of patients with Parkinson disease is divided into two groups. Participants in the first group are treated with ginkgo biloba, and participants in the other group receive a placebo. A change in the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) score is used as the primary endpoint for the study. The investigators, participants, and data analysts were meant to be blinded throughout the trial. However, while the trial is being conducted, the patients' demographics and their allocated treatment groups are mistakenly disclosed to the investigators, but not to the participants or the data analysts, because of a technical flaw. The study concludes that there is a significant decrease in MDS-UPDRS scores in patients treated with ginkgo biloba. Which of the following is most likely to have affected the validity of this study?
- A. Effect modification
- B. Recall bias
- C. Pygmalion effect (Correct Answer)
- D. Hawthorne effect
- E. Procedure bias
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***Pygmalion effect***
- The **Pygmalion effect**, also known as **observer-expectancy bias** or experimenter bias, occurs when an investigator's expectations about the outcome of a study unintentionally influence the results.
- In this case, the **investigators becoming unblinded** to treatment assignments could lead them to unconsciously influence patient assessments or interactions based on their knowledge of who received ginkgo biloba, potentially leading to inflated positive outcomes for the treatment group.
*Effect modification*
- **Effect modification** describes a phenomenon where the effect of an exposure on an outcome is different across various strata of a third variable.
- This is a true biological interaction and does not represent a bias or flaw in the study design due to unblinding.
*Recall bias*
- **Recall bias** occurs when participants' memories of past exposures or events differ based on their current health status or knowledge of their condition.
- This bias primarily affects studies that rely on **retrospective reporting** of past events and is not relevant to the unblinding of investigators in a prospective clinical trial.
*Hawthorne effect*
- The **Hawthorne effect** describes a phenomenon where participants in a study change their behavior simply because they are aware of being observed, regardless of the intervention they receive.
- While participant blinding is important to prevent this, the scenario describes investigators being unblinded, not the participants.
*Procedure bias*
- **Procedure bias** (also known as interviewer bias or performance bias) arises from systematic differences in the way data is collected or procedures are performed for different study groups.
- While investigator unblinding can lead to elements of procedure bias, the more specific and encompassing term for an investigator's expectations influencing results is the **Pygmalion effect** (observer-expectancy bias).
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 7: A study seeks to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of treating asymptomatic subclinical hypothyroidism in preventing symptoms of hypothyroidism. The investigators found 300 asymptomatic patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) of 5 to 10 μU/mL with normal serum thyroxine (T4) levels. The patients were randomized to either thyroxine 75 μg daily or placebo. Both investigators and study subjects were blinded. Baseline patient characteristics were distributed similarly in the treatment and control group (p > 0.05). Participants' serum T4 and TSH levels and subjective quality of life were evaluated at a 3-week follow-up. No difference was found between the treatment and placebo groups. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the results of this study?
- A. Observer effect
- B. Berkson bias
- C. Latency period (Correct Answer)
- D. Confounding bias
- E. Lead-time bias
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***Latency period***
- A **latency period** refers to the time between exposure to a cause (e.g., treatment) and the manifestation of its effects (e.g., symptom improvement). The study's **3-week follow-up is too short** to observe the therapeutic benefits of thyroxine in subclinical hypothyroidism.
- Levothyroxine (T4) has a **half-life of approximately 7 days**, and it typically takes **6-8 weeks or longer** for steady-state levels to be achieved and for clinical symptoms to improve. The slow onset of action for thyroid hormone replacement and the gradual nature of symptom resolution mean a longer observation period (typically 3-6 months) is needed to assess efficacy in hypothyroidism.
- The null results likely reflect insufficient follow-up time rather than lack of treatment effect.
*Observer effect*
- The **observer effect**, or Hawthorne effect, occurs when subjects change their behavior because they know they are being observed. This study used **double-blinding** (both investigators and subjects), which effectively minimizes the observer effect.
- The primary issue here is the lack of observed therapeutic effect due to timing, not a change in behavior due to observation.
*Berkson bias*
- **Berkson bias** is a form of selection bias that arises in case-control studies conducted in hospitals, where the probability of being admitted to the hospital can be affected by both exposure and disease.
- This study is a **randomized controlled trial**, not a case-control study, and the selection of participants does not illustrate this specific bias.
*Confounding bias*
- **Confounding bias** occurs when an extraneous variable is associated with both the exposure and the outcome, distorting the observed relationship. The study states that **baseline patient characteristics were similarly distributed (p > 0.05)**, indicating successful randomization and minimization of confounding.
- While confounding is a common concern in observational studies, the RCT design and reported baseline similarities make it unlikely to be the primary explanation for the null results compared to an insufficient follow-up period.
*Lead-time bias*
- **Lead-time bias** is a form of detection bias where early detection of a disease through screening appears to prolong survival, even if the treatment does not change the course of the disease.
- This study is evaluating the **efficacy of treatment** in asymptomatic individuals with subclinical hypothyroidism, not the effect of screening on survival, making lead-time bias irrelevant to these results.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 8: In the study, all participants who were enrolled and randomly assigned to treatment with pulmharkimab were analyzed in the pulmharkimab group regardless of medication nonadherence or refusal of allocated treatment. A medical student reading the abstract is confused about why some participants assigned to pulmharkimab who did not adhere to the regimen were still analyzed as part of the pulmharkimab group. Which of the following best reflects the purpose of such an analysis strategy?
- A. To minimize type 2 errors
- B. To assess treatment efficacy more accurately
- C. To reduce selection bias (Correct Answer)
- D. To increase internal validity of study
- E. To increase sample size
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***To reduce selection bias***
- Analyzing participants in their originally assigned groups, regardless of adherence, is known as **intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis**.
- This method helps **preserve randomization** and minimizes **selection bias** that could arise if participants who did not adhere to treatment were excluded or re-assigned.
- **This is the most direct and specific purpose** of ITT analysis - preventing systematic differences between groups caused by post-randomization exclusions.
*To minimize type 2 errors*
- While ITT analysis affects statistical power, its primary purpose is not specifically to minimize **type 2 errors** (false negatives).
- ITT analysis may sometimes *increase* the likelihood of a type 2 error by diluting the treatment effect due to non-adherence.
*To assess treatment efficacy more accurately*
- ITT analysis assesses the **effectiveness** of *assigning* a treatment in a real-world setting, rather than the pure biological **efficacy** of the treatment itself.
- Efficacy is better assessed by a **per-protocol analysis**, which only includes compliant participants.
- ITT provides a more **conservative** and **pragmatic** estimate of treatment effect.
*To increase internal validity of study*
- While ITT analysis does contribute to **internal validity** by maintaining randomization, this is a **broader, secondary benefit** rather than the primary purpose.
- Internal validity encompasses many aspects of study design; ITT specifically addresses **post-randomization bias prevention**.
- The more precise answer is that ITT reduces **selection bias**, which is one specific threat to internal validity.
- Many other design features also contribute to internal validity (blinding, standardized protocols, etc.), making this option less specific.
*To increase sample size*
- ITT analysis includes all randomized participants, so it maintains the initial **sample size** that was randomized.
- However, the primary purpose is to preserve the integrity of randomization and prevent bias, not simply to increase the number of participants in the final analysis.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 9: A randomized control double-blind study is conducted on the efficacy of 2 sulfonylureas. The study concluded that medication 1 was more efficacious in lowering fasting blood glucose than medication 2 (p ≤ 0.05; 95% CI: 14 [10-21]). Which of the following is true regarding a 95% confidence interval (CI)?
- A. If the same study were repeated multiple times, approximately 95% of the calculated confidence intervals would contain the true population parameter. (Correct Answer)
- B. The 95% confidence interval is the probability chosen by the researcher to be the threshold of statistical significance.
- C. When a 95% CI for the estimated difference between groups contains the value ‘0’, the results are significant.
- D. It represents the probability that chance would not produce the difference shown, 95% of the time.
- E. The study is adequately powered at the 95% confidence interval.
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***If the same study were repeated multiple times, approximately 95% of the calculated confidence intervals would contain the true population parameter.***
- This statement accurately defines the **frequentist interpretation** of a confidence interval (CI). It reflects the long-run behavior of the CI over hypothetical repetitions of the study.
- A 95% CI means that if you were to repeat the experiment many times, 95% of the CIs calculated from those experiments would capture the **true underlying population parameter**.
*The 95% confidence interval is the probability chosen by the researcher to be the threshold of statistical significance.*
- The **alpha level (α)**, typically set at 0.05 (or 5%), is the threshold for statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05), representing the probability of a Type I error.
- The 95% confidence level (1-α) is related to statistical significance, but it is not the *threshold* itself; rather, it indicates the **reliability** of the interval estimate.
*When a 95% CI for the estimated difference between groups contains the value ‘0’, the results are significant.*
- If a 95% CI for the difference between groups **contains 0**, it implies that there is **no statistically significant difference** between the groups at the 0.05 alpha level.
- A statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) would be indicated if the 95% CI **does NOT contain 0**, suggesting that the intervention had a real effect.
*It represents the probability that chance would not produce the difference shown, 95% of the time.*
- This statement misinterprets the meaning of a CI and probability. The chance of not producing the observed difference is typically addressed by the **p-value**, not directly by the CI in this manner.
- A CI provides a **range of plausible values** for the population parameter, not a probability about the role of chance in producing the observed difference.
*The study is adequately powered at the 95% confidence interval.*
- **Statistical power** is the probability of correctly rejecting a false null hypothesis, typically set at 80% or 90%. It is primarily determined by sample size, effect size, and alpha level.
- A 95% CI is a measure of the **precision** of an estimate, while power refers to the **ability of a study to detect an effect** if one exists. They are related but distinct concepts.
Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG Question 10: A randomized controlled trial is conducted investigating the effects of different diagnostic imaging modalities on breast cancer mortality. 8,000 women are randomized to receive either conventional mammography or conventional mammography with breast MRI. The primary outcome is survival from the time of breast cancer diagnosis. The conventional mammography group has a median survival after diagnosis of 17.0 years. The MRI plus conventional mammography group has a median survival of 19.5 years. If this difference is statistically significant, which form of bias may be affecting the results?
- A. Recall bias
- B. Selection bias
- C. Misclassification bias
- D. Because this study is a randomized controlled trial, it is free of bias
- E. Lead-time bias (Correct Answer)
Blinding techniques and levels Explanation: ***Lead-time bias***
- This bias occurs when a screening test diagnoses a disease earlier, making **survival appear longer** even if the actual time of death is unchanged.
- In this scenario, adding **MRI** may detect breast cancer at an earlier, asymptomatic stage, artificially extending the apparent survival duration from diagnosis without necessarily changing the ultimate prognosis.
*Recall bias*
- **Recall bias** applies to retrospective studies where subjects are asked to recall past exposures, and those with the outcome are more likely to remember potential exposures.
- It's irrelevant here as this is a **prospective randomized controlled trial** studying objective survival outcomes, not subjective past recollections.
*Selection bias*
- **Selection bias** occurs when participants are not randomly assigned to groups, leading to systematic differences between the groups influencing the outcome.
- This study is a **randomized controlled trial**, which is designed to minimize selection bias by ensuring participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either treatment arm.
*Misclassification bias*
- **Misclassification bias** happens when either the exposure or the outcome is incorrectly categorized, leading to erroneous associations.
- This study uses objective diagnostic imaging and survival data, thus reducing the likelihood of **misclassification of diagnosis or survival status**.
*Because this study is a randomized controlled trial, it is free of bias*
- While **randomized controlled trials (RCTs)** are considered the **gold standard** for minimizing bias, they are not entirely immune to all forms of bias.
- **Lead-time bias**, for instance, can still occur in RCTs involving screening or early diagnosis, as seen in this example, and other biases like **information bias** or **reporting bias** can also arise.
More Blinding techniques and levels US Medical PG questions available in the OnCourse app. Practice MCQs, flashcards, and get detailed explanations.
