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Study Design in Neurosurgical Research: Considerations for Observational and Experimental Cohort Studies
Christopher E Louie1, Erin D'Agostino1, Alexander Woods1
1Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
Abstract:
There is inadequate neurosurgical literature discussing appropriate clinical study design. Here, we explore considerations for 2 fundamental study designs of epidemiology: experimental and observational cohort studies, through examples of theoretical yet realistic neurosurgical research questions. By examining 2 common neurosurgical procedures-namely, subdural drains for evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma, and the utility of navigation for placing external ventricular drains-we characterize the framework of cohort study models for clinical research applications.
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