Which of the following best describes an adaptive trial design?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Adaptive trial designs allow prospectively planned modifications to key trial elements based on accumulating data, so interim analyses guide decisions about continuing, stopping, or changing the study.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Adaptive design: a pre-specified plan that permits modifications (e.g., sample size re-estimation, early stopping for efficacy/futility/safety, dropping or adding arms, changing randomization ratios) based on interim data without undermining statistical validity.
- Interim analysis: scheduled looks at accumulating outcome data during the trial used to make adaptive decisions while controlling type I error and bias.
- Fixed (non-adaptive) design: no protocol changes are permitted once the trial starts; all design elements remain constant.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- Start from the definition: an adaptive trial is defined by use of interim analyses to inform prospectively planned changes.
- Compare each option to that definition:
  a) “All participants randomly assigned with single predefined doses” — this describes a standard randomized trial with fixed doses, not adaptive because no interim-based modifications are implied.
  b) “Fixed protocol with no changes allowed” — this is the opposite of adaptive; it explicitly forbids changes, so it cannot be adaptive.
  c) “Incorporates interim analyses to inform decisions about continuing or modifying the study” — this matches the core adaptive definition: interim looks and prospectively allowed modifications.
  d) “Evaluates multiple doses for the duration” — evaluating multiple doses could be part of an adaptive dose-finding study, but the statement alone does not require interim decision rules; it could be a fixed multi-arm trial and thus is not the general definition.

3) Intermediate steps and examples
- Example adaptive actions triggered by interim analysis: stop early for demonstrated benefit (efficacy), stop for harm (safety), stop for futility, re-estimate sample size if event rate differs from assumptions, or drop an ineffective arm.
- Such changes must be pre-specified in the protocol and statistical plan to preserve validity.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- Option c explicitly describes the defining mechanism of adaptive designs: interim analyses used to inform continuing or modifying the study.

5) Why other options are incorrect
- a and d describe design features that could be fixed and do not require adaptivity.
- b explicitly forbids changes, making it a non-adaptive (fixed) design.

6) Conclusion
This reasoning confirms option c is correct: "A trial that incorporates interim analyses to inform decisions about continuing or modifying the study."

Which of the following best describes an adaptive trial design?单项选择题

类似问题

Which of the following options does NOT describe what interim analysis can lead to?

Which of the following options is NOT a purpose of conducting Phase IV clinical trials?

When evaluating a new project, firms should include in the projected cash flows all of the following EXCEPT:

Provide the best rationale for what's wrong with supply chains today?

What is Blockchain and how is it relevant to supply chain management?

更多留学生实用工具

智能学习助手

风格化写作助手

论文查重助手

文献引用助手

课堂转译助手

课堂笔记助手

Quiz搜索助手

学校历年真题

智能刷题助手

智能匹配练习

希望你的学习变得更简单