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Reported Outcome Measures in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Systematic Review.
Benjamin M Davies1, Maire McHugh1, Ali Elgheriani2
1Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|August 3, 2016
Summary
Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) research outcomes are reported inconsistently across studies. Developing a standardized reporting set is crucial for better treatment comparisons and advancing DCM research.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Clinical Research Methodology
Background:
- Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive neurological condition with significant patient impact.
- Inconsistent outcome reporting in DCM trials hinders evidence synthesis and treatment optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically assess the heterogeneity of outcome reporting in degenerative cervical myelopathy research.
- To establish the need for a standardized outcome reporting set in DCM.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed.
- Studies were included if they reported outcomes for DCM, with specific patient number thresholds for prospective (>50) and retrospective (>200) studies.
- PRISMA guidelines were followed, and the review was registered with PROSPERO.
Main Results:
- 108 studies involving 23,876 patients were analyzed.
- Function was the most frequently reported outcome (90%), followed by imaging (55%) and complications (52%).
- Significant variability in reporting was observed across all outcome domains, with only 6% of studies addressing all domains.
Conclusions:
- There is substantial heterogeneity in how outcomes are reported in degenerative cervical myelopathy research.
- A consensus minimum dataset for outcome reporting is necessary to improve future research synthesis and clinical decision-making in DCM.
