Conducting Clinical Trials in Twin Populations: A Review of Design, Analysis, Recruitment and Ethical Issues for
Lisa N Yelland1,2, Katrina J Scurrah3, Paulo Ferreira4
1Women and Kids Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Abstract:
Although twins often participate in medical research, few clinical trials are conducted entirely in twin populations. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the substantial benefits and address the key challenges of conducting clinical trials in twin populations, or 'twin-only trials'. We consider the unique design, analysis, recruitment and ethical issues that arise in such trials. In particular, we describe the different approaches available for randomizing twin pairs, highlight the similarity or correlation that exists between outcomes of twins, and discuss the impact of this correlation on sample size calculations and statistical analysis methods for estimating treatment effects. We also consider the role of both monozygotic and dizygotic twins for studying variation in outcomes, the factors that may affect recruitment of twins, and the ethics of conducting trials entirely in twin populations. The advantages and disadvantages of conducting twin-only trials are also discussed. Finally, we recommend that twin-only trials should be considered more often.
More Related Videos
04:53A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition
Published on: September 20, 2019
05:53Candidate Gene Testing in Clinical Cohort Studies with Multiplexed Genotyping and Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 21, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Case Studies
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Repeated Measures, Cross-Over, Carry-Over, and Latin Square Designs
Clinical Trials: Overview
Study Designs in Epidemiology
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...
