Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology

Benjamin Mayer

Publications

• Research Article
  Interpretation of Statistical Significance - Exploratory Versus Confirmative Testing in Clinical Trials, Epidemiological Studies, Meta-Analyses and Toxicological Screening (Using Ginkgo biloba as an Example)
  Author(s): Wilhelm Gaus, Benjamin Mayer and Rainer MucheWilhelm Gaus, Benjamin Mayer and Rainer Muche
  
  The terms “significant” and “p-value” are important for biomedical researchers and readers of biomedical papers including pharmacologists. No other statistical result is misinterpreted as often as p-values. In this paper the issue of exploratory versus confirmative testing is discussed in general. A significant p-value sometimes leads to a precise hypothesis (exploratory testing), sometimes it is interpret as “statistical proof” (confirmative testing). A p-value may only be interpreted as confirmative, if (1) the hypothesis and the level of significance were established a priori and (2) an adjustment for multiple testing was carried out if more than one test was performed. Screening programmes (e.g. the U.S. National Toxicology Programme on Ginkgo biloba) are typical for exploratory results. Controlled randomised trials include typically one .. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2161-1459.1000182

  Abstract PDF