Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals00:54

Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals

The confidence interval is the range of values around the mean that contains the true mean. It is expressed as a probability percentage. The interpretation of a 95% confidence interval, for instance, is that the statistician is 95% confident that the true mean falls within the interval. The upper and lower limits of this range are known as confidence limits. The confidence limits for the true mean are estimated from the sample's mean, the standard deviation, and the statistical factor 't,' or...
Interpretation of Confidence Intervals01:19

Interpretation of Confidence Intervals

A confidence interval is a better estimate of the population than a point estimate, as it uses a range of values from a sample instead of a single value.
Confidence intervals have confidence coefficients that are crucial for their interpretation. The most common confidence coefficients are 0.90, 0.95, and 0.99, which can be written as percentages–90%, 95%, and 99%, respectively.
Suppose a person calculates a confidence interval with a confidence coefficient of 0.95. In that case, they can...
Dose Size and Dosing Frequency: Determination Methods01:21

Dose Size and Dosing Frequency: Determination Methods

Determining the optimal dose size and dosing frequency in pharmacotherapy is crucial for achieving therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing adverse effects. This article explores the methodologies employed in determining these parameters, focusing on their significance and interplay to tailor dosing regimens.Dose Size: Dose size refers to the amount of a drug administered in a single dose. It is determined based on the drug's pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics properties and...
Confidence Intervals01:21

Confidence Intervals

An unbiased point estimate is often insufficient to predict a population estimate, such as population mean or population proportion. In this scenario, a confidence interval is used. A confidence interval is an estimate similar to a sample proportion. However, unlike the point estimate which is a single value, the confidence interval contains a range of values. These values have lower and upper limits, known as confidence limits, and can be designated as L1 and L2, respectively.
A confidence...
Confidence Coefficient01:24

Confidence Coefficient

The confidence coefficient is also known as the confidence level or degree of confidence. It is the percent expression for the probability, 1-α, that the confidence interval contains the true population parameter assuming that the confidence interval is obtained after sufficient unbiased sampling; for example, if the CL = 90%, then in 90 out of 100 samples the interval estimate will enclose the true population parameter. Here α is the area under the curve, distributed equally under both the...
Critical Values01:31

Critical Values

A critical value is a definite value obtained from a particular probability distribution at a predecided confidence level (or a predecided significance level) for a given population parameter. The critical value provides demarcation that separates the sample statistics that are likely to occur from the ones that are unlikely to occur based on the given probability distribution and the population parameter to be estimated. The critical value for normal distribution is obtained from the z...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Choice of a Suitable Dosimeter for Photon Percentage Depth Dose Measurements in Flattening Filter-Free Beams.

Journal of medical physics·2017
Same author

A quality index for equivalent uniform dose.

Journal of medical physics·2011
Same author

[Impact of a PET/CT facility in its community environment].

Revista espanola de salud publica·2011
Same author

The use of a mixed Poisson model for tumour control probability computation in non homogeneous irradiations.

Australasian physical & engineering sciences in medicine·2011
Same author

A probability approach to the study on uncertainty effects on gamma index evaluations in radiation therapy.

Computational and mathematical methods in medicine·2011
Same author

Comparison of IPSM 1990 photon dosimetry code of practice with IAEA TRS-398 and AAPM TG-51.

Journal of applied clinical medical physics·2009

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Expedited Radiation Biodosimetry by Automated Dicentric Chromosome Identification (ADCI) and Dose Estimation
10:33

Expedited Radiation Biodosimetry by Automated Dicentric Chromosome Identification (ADCI) and Dose Estimation

Published on: September 4, 2017

Confidence intervals in dose volume histogram computation.

Francisco Cutanda Henríquez1, Silvia Vargas Castrillón

  • 1Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maraihdn, Calle Doctor Esquerdo, 46 28007, Madrid, Spain. francisco.cutanda@salud.madrid.org

Medical Physics
|May 7, 2010
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a method to add confidence intervals to dose volume histograms (DVHs) in radiation therapy. This ensures treatment planning decisions are based on reliable dose calculations, improving patient safety.

More Related Videos

Characterization of Recombination Effects in a Liquid Ionization Chamber Used for the Dosimetry of a Radiosurgical Accelerator
07:31

Characterization of Recombination Effects in a Liquid Ionization Chamber Used for the Dosimetry of a Radiosurgical Accelerator

Published on: May 9, 2014

Positron Emission Tomography-based Dose Painting Radiation Therapy in a Glioblastoma Rat Model using the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform
07:57

Positron Emission Tomography-based Dose Painting Radiation Therapy in a Glioblastoma Rat Model using the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

Published on: March 24, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Expedited Radiation Biodosimetry by Automated Dicentric Chromosome Identification (ADCI) and Dose Estimation
10:33

Expedited Radiation Biodosimetry by Automated Dicentric Chromosome Identification (ADCI) and Dose Estimation

Published on: September 4, 2017

Characterization of Recombination Effects in a Liquid Ionization Chamber Used for the Dosimetry of a Radiosurgical Accelerator
07:31

Characterization of Recombination Effects in a Liquid Ionization Chamber Used for the Dosimetry of a Radiosurgical Accelerator

Published on: May 9, 2014

Positron Emission Tomography-based Dose Painting Radiation Therapy in a Glioblastoma Rat Model using the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform
07:57

Positron Emission Tomography-based Dose Painting Radiation Therapy in a Glioblastoma Rat Model using the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

Published on: March 24, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Medical Physics
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Dose volume histograms (DVHs) are critical for radiation therapy planning and evaluation.
  • Reliable assessment of computed dose distributions is essential for informed treatment decisions.
  • Uncertainty in dose computation can impact the accuracy of DVHs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a method for assigning confidence intervals to DVHs.
  • To address uncertainties associated with dose computation in radiation therapy.
  • To enhance the reliability of DVH data used in treatment planning.

Main Methods:

  • A mathematical model was developed based on various point dose uncertainty distributions (rectangular, triangular, Gaussian).
  • An alpha-DVH was computed using specific alpha values (0.25/0.75 or 0.10/0.90) to establish confidence intervals.
  • The method was applied and validated on multiple DVH curves.

Main Results:

  • Alpha-DVHs demonstrate dependence on the chosen probability distribution, standard uncertainty, and confidence level.
  • Confidence intervals can be applied to either the volume at a specific isodose level or the dose at a specific volume.
  • The developed method provides quantifiable bounds for DVH values.

Conclusions:

  • Alpha-DVHs offer reliable bounds for DVH values, accounting for dose computation uncertainties.
  • Dose expected volume histograms can serve as central estimates when incorporating uncertainty.
  • These methods are particularly valuable for optimization approaches in radiation therapy planning.