David Laursen
@davidlaursen.bsky.social
Clinical trial methodology, systematic reviews, placebo, blinding
Causal inference coming to an unblinded trial near you!
Hoping to read it more carefully soon and understand how it relates to previous efforts in measuring and handling unblinding (e.g. blinding indices) and to choice of control (e.g. active placebo)
#Blinding #Masking #Unblinding #Unmasking
Hoping to read it more carefully soon and understand how it relates to previous efforts in measuring and handling unblinding (e.g. blinding indices) and to choice of control (e.g. active placebo)
#Blinding #Masking #Unblinding #Unmasking
Our team of statisticians and psychedelic researchers (@awlevis.bsky.social, Mats Stensrud + Sandeep Nayak & David Yaden of @jhpsychedelics.bsky.social) developed a causal inference framework for functional unmasking in psychedelic RCTs.
See our pre-print + analysis guide/code:
tinyurl.com/yhwez25p
See our pre-print + analysis guide/code:
tinyurl.com/yhwez25p
Causal Inference in Studies with Functional Unmasking: Psychedelics and Beyond
In clinical trials for mental health treatments, functional unmasking (unblinding) is a widespread challenge wherein participants become aware of their assigned treatment. Unmasking is especially conc...
tinyurl.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Causal inference coming to an unblinded trial near you!
Hoping to read it more carefully soon and understand how it relates to previous efforts in measuring and handling unblinding (e.g. blinding indices) and to choice of control (e.g. active placebo)
#Blinding #Masking #Unblinding #Unmasking
Hoping to read it more carefully soon and understand how it relates to previous efforts in measuring and handling unblinding (e.g. blinding indices) and to choice of control (e.g. active placebo)
#Blinding #Masking #Unblinding #Unmasking
Errare humanum est ...
(To err is human ...)
While preparing my PhD thesis, I discovered some (minor) errors in which trials and meta-analyses were included for analysis in our meta-epidemiological study.
1/5
(To err is human ...)
While preparing my PhD thesis, I discovered some (minor) errors in which trials and meta-analyses were included for analysis in our meta-epidemiological study.
1/5
Corrigendum to “Impact of active placebo controls on estimated drug effects in randomized trials: a meta-epidemiological study” [Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 188 (2025) 111998] - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology www.jclinepi.com/article/S089...
Corrigendum to “Impact of active placebo controls on estimated drug effects in randomized trials: a meta-epidemiological study” [Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 188 (2025) 111998]
The authors regret that 7 trials were erroneously excluded from 2 meta-analyses of
benefit during overlap removal and that another meta-analysis of attrition was erroneously
included as a co-intervent...
www.jclinepi.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Errare humanum est ...
(To err is human ...)
While preparing my PhD thesis, I discovered some (minor) errors in which trials and meta-analyses were included for analysis in our meta-epidemiological study.
1/5
(To err is human ...)
While preparing my PhD thesis, I discovered some (minor) errors in which trials and meta-analyses were included for analysis in our meta-epidemiological study.
1/5
Reposted by David Laursen
Webinar - read more and sign up: www.cochrane.org/events/how-t...
On 17 February 2026, Andreas Lundh and Asbjørn Hrobjartsson will host a Cochrane Learning Live webinar about the TACIT tool.
On 17 February 2026, Andreas Lundh and Asbjørn Hrobjartsson will host a Cochrane Learning Live webinar about the TACIT tool.
December 1, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Webinar - read more and sign up: www.cochrane.org/events/how-t...
On 17 February 2026, Andreas Lundh and Asbjørn Hrobjartsson will host a Cochrane Learning Live webinar about the TACIT tool.
On 17 February 2026, Andreas Lundh and Asbjørn Hrobjartsson will host a Cochrane Learning Live webinar about the TACIT tool.
... IN MICE 🐭
jamesheathers.medium.com/in-mice-expl...
Vigtigt med retvisende overskrifter og passende forbehold for ekstrapolering til mennesker.
#JustSaysInMice #InMice #IMus
jamesheathers.medium.com/in-mice-expl...
Vigtigt med retvisende overskrifter og passende forbehold for ekstrapolering til mennesker.
#JustSaysInMice #InMice #IMus
November 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM
... IN MICE 🐭
jamesheathers.medium.com/in-mice-expl...
Vigtigt med retvisende overskrifter og passende forbehold for ekstrapolering til mennesker.
#JustSaysInMice #InMice #IMus
jamesheathers.medium.com/in-mice-expl...
Vigtigt med retvisende overskrifter og passende forbehold for ekstrapolering til mennesker.
#JustSaysInMice #InMice #IMus
Reposted by David Laursen
Happening TODAY at 3pm GMT 👇
Have you ever wondered how the transportability of an estimate may be affected by the choice of effect measure?
Join us in Nov to hear from @mpiccininni3.bsky.social on why the causal risk ratio might be more stable and transportable across settings.
Sign up: ucl.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
#CIIG
Join us in Nov to hear from @mpiccininni3.bsky.social on why the causal risk ratio might be more stable and transportable across settings.
Sign up: ucl.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
#CIIG
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Happening TODAY at 3pm GMT 👇
Reposted by David Laursen
Have increased capacity for this December INSPECT-SR online training workshop following a successful 1st event today. Book here: www.trybooking.com/uk/FKHV
Introduction to INSPECT-SR Training Workshop December
An introductory 2-hour online workshop will introduce participants to the INSPECT-SR tool for assessing trustworthiness of randomised controlled...
www.trybooking.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Have increased capacity for this December INSPECT-SR online training workshop following a successful 1st event today. Book here: www.trybooking.com/uk/FKHV
Recent trial with potential data problems @bmj.com. Great with IPD available for checking.
Helpful/feasible with early standard checks in submission? E.g. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) or INSPECT-IPD (in development, www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti..., @jdwilko.bsky.social)
Helpful/feasible with early standard checks in submission? E.g. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) or INSPECT-IPD (in development, www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti..., @jdwilko.bsky.social)
November 3, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Recent trial with potential data problems @bmj.com. Great with IPD available for checking.
Helpful/feasible with early standard checks in submission? E.g. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) or INSPECT-IPD (in development, www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti..., @jdwilko.bsky.social)
Helpful/feasible with early standard checks in submission? E.g. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) or INSPECT-IPD (in development, www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti..., @jdwilko.bsky.social)
Reposted by David Laursen
What: Webinar on trial sequential analysis (TSA) in meta-analyses
When: 28 Oct 2025 13:00 to 13:45 (CEST)
Where: syddanskuni.zoom.us/j/61110310530
Christian Gunge Riberholt, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, will talk about TSA and the potential errors of using it.
#MetaAnalysis
When: 28 Oct 2025 13:00 to 13:45 (CEST)
Where: syddanskuni.zoom.us/j/61110310530
Christian Gunge Riberholt, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, will talk about TSA and the potential errors of using it.
#MetaAnalysis
October 20, 2025 at 11:40 AM
What: Webinar on trial sequential analysis (TSA) in meta-analyses
When: 28 Oct 2025 13:00 to 13:45 (CEST)
Where: syddanskuni.zoom.us/j/61110310530
Christian Gunge Riberholt, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, will talk about TSA and the potential errors of using it.
#MetaAnalysis
When: 28 Oct 2025 13:00 to 13:45 (CEST)
Where: syddanskuni.zoom.us/j/61110310530
Christian Gunge Riberholt, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, will talk about TSA and the potential errors of using it.
#MetaAnalysis
Reposted by David Laursen
Does anyone have any good examples of PPI for stats methodology? I’ve seen a few but they are all related to a clear applied research question, rather than actual methods
October 18, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Does anyone have any good examples of PPI for stats methodology? I’ve seen a few but they are all related to a clear applied research question, rather than actual methods
Does unblinding due to side effects lead to bias in placebo-controlled trials? And are active placebos a possible solution? (Spoiler alert: we are not sure.)
#ActivePlacebo #ActivePlacebos #Blinding #Unblinding #Placebo #Bias
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#ActivePlacebo #ActivePlacebos #Blinding #Unblinding #Placebo #Bias
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October 17, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Does unblinding due to side effects lead to bias in placebo-controlled trials? And are active placebos a possible solution? (Spoiler alert: we are not sure.)
#ActivePlacebo #ActivePlacebos #Blinding #Unblinding #Placebo #Bias
1/10
#ActivePlacebo #ActivePlacebos #Blinding #Unblinding #Placebo #Bias
1/10
I forlængelse af sagen om SDU's pressemeddelelser - hermed lidt uformelle og inkomplette strøtanker til, når man skriver eller fortolker pressemeddelelser og anden videnskabelig kommunikation:
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1/5
October 1, 2025 at 10:28 AM
I forlængelse af sagen om SDU's pressemeddelelser - hermed lidt uformelle og inkomplette strøtanker til, når man skriver eller fortolker pressemeddelelser og anden videnskabelig kommunikation:
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Reposted by David Laursen
Last chance to participate - this will close on Sunday pm UK time. These results will be used to formulate guidance on demonstrating promise of an intervention when applying for funding for an RCT, pilot, or feasibility trial.
How to demonstrate ‘promise of the intervention’ ahead of an RCT of the intervention? If you’d like to participate in the final round of the Promise Delphi, even if you didn’t do Round 1, then get in touch!
August 20, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Last chance to participate - this will close on Sunday pm UK time. These results will be used to formulate guidance on demonstrating promise of an intervention when applying for funding for an RCT, pilot, or feasibility trial.
Hvad er #placebo? Hvor stor er placeboeffekten? Hvad gør man hvis blindede forsøgsdeltagere alligevel kan gætte deres behandling?
Asbjørn Hróbjartsson og jeg er inviteret med i studiet hos Andreas Hoff for - måske - at komme nærmere på svarene på disse spørgsmål.
open.spotify.com/episode/3aeI...
Asbjørn Hróbjartsson og jeg er inviteret med i studiet hos Andreas Hoff for - måske - at komme nærmere på svarene på disse spørgsmål.
open.spotify.com/episode/3aeI...
24 - om placebo
Mens Du Venter · Episode
open.spotify.com
August 17, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Hvad er #placebo? Hvor stor er placeboeffekten? Hvad gør man hvis blindede forsøgsdeltagere alligevel kan gætte deres behandling?
Asbjørn Hróbjartsson og jeg er inviteret med i studiet hos Andreas Hoff for - måske - at komme nærmere på svarene på disse spørgsmål.
open.spotify.com/episode/3aeI...
Asbjørn Hróbjartsson og jeg er inviteret med i studiet hos Andreas Hoff for - måske - at komme nærmere på svarene på disse spørgsmål.
open.spotify.com/episode/3aeI...
Reposted by David Laursen
Another round of workshops at SDU Odense to help you get started on your systematic review, scoping review, qualitative review, and other types of evidence synthesis:
- 21 Aug 10am-12pm
- 25 Sept 10am-12pm
- 30 Oct 10am-12pm
- 27 Nov 10am-12pm
Read more and sign up:
www.sdu.dk/en/forskning...
- 21 Aug 10am-12pm
- 25 Sept 10am-12pm
- 30 Oct 10am-12pm
- 27 Nov 10am-12pm
Read more and sign up:
www.sdu.dk/en/forskning...
Monthly methods workshops
We offer monthly workshops on preparing systematic reviews. At the workshop, we introduce you to various types of reviews and guide you through the core steps of preparing them.
www.sdu.dk
August 7, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Another round of workshops at SDU Odense to help you get started on your systematic review, scoping review, qualitative review, and other types of evidence synthesis:
- 21 Aug 10am-12pm
- 25 Sept 10am-12pm
- 30 Oct 10am-12pm
- 27 Nov 10am-12pm
Read more and sign up:
www.sdu.dk/en/forskning...
- 21 Aug 10am-12pm
- 25 Sept 10am-12pm
- 30 Oct 10am-12pm
- 27 Nov 10am-12pm
Read more and sign up:
www.sdu.dk/en/forskning...
Reposted by David Laursen
The latest Bias Methods Group newsletter is live! Dive into fresh insights and essential updates on tackling bias in research, as well as a call for abstracts for the 2025 annual meeting! Read it on the BMG website: methods.cochrane.org/bias/about-u...
Newsletters | Cochrane Bias
methods.cochrane.org
June 19, 2025 at 9:01 AM
The latest Bias Methods Group newsletter is live! Dive into fresh insights and essential updates on tackling bias in research, as well as a call for abstracts for the 2025 annual meeting! Read it on the BMG website: methods.cochrane.org/bias/about-u...
Reposted by David Laursen
Assessing the feasibility and impact of clinical trial trustworthiness checks via an application to Cochrane Reviews: Stage 2 of the INSPECT-SR project - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology www.jclinepi.com/article/S089...
Assessing the feasibility and impact of clinical trial trustworthiness checks via an application to Cochrane Reviews: Stage 2 of the INSPECT-SR project
The aim of the INSPECT-SR project is to develop a tool to identify problematic RCTs
in systematic reviews. In Stage 1 of the project, a list of potential trustworthiness
checks was created. The checks...
www.jclinepi.com
May 17, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Assessing the feasibility and impact of clinical trial trustworthiness checks via an application to Cochrane Reviews: Stage 2 of the INSPECT-SR project - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology www.jclinepi.com/article/S089...
Reposted by David Laursen
Funders expect evidence of 'promise' (the intervention is likely to work) when considering whether to fund an RCT, pilot, or feasibility study. But there is no shared understanding of how we should do this. We have been funded by @nihr.bsky.social to develop guidance to help.
March 5, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Funders expect evidence of 'promise' (the intervention is likely to work) when considering whether to fund an RCT, pilot, or feasibility study. But there is no shared understanding of how we should do this. We have been funded by @nihr.bsky.social to develop guidance to help.
Reposted by David Laursen
Censor CDC scientists and ask them to withdraw papers from medical journals?
This is not how it works, Mr President.
Our response @bmj.com on the Trump Executive Order and his "forbidden words"
www.bmj.com/content/388/...
This is not how it works, Mr President.
Our response @bmj.com on the Trump Executive Order and his "forbidden words"
www.bmj.com/content/388/...
February 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Censor CDC scientists and ask them to withdraw papers from medical journals?
This is not how it works, Mr President.
Our response @bmj.com on the Trump Executive Order and his "forbidden words"
www.bmj.com/content/388/...
This is not how it works, Mr President.
Our response @bmj.com on the Trump Executive Order and his "forbidden words"
www.bmj.com/content/388/...