A Critical Appraisal of Statistical Practice in Translational Animal Studies

• Activity Number: 64 - Statistical Issues Specific to Therapeutic Areas
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 3, 2020 : 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
• Sponsor: Biopharmaceutical Section
• Author(s): Olivia Hogue* and Eashwar Somasundaram and Kenneth B Baker and Jill S Barnholtz-Sloan and Abagail Postle and Tucker J Harvey and Dena Crozier and Francis May
• Companies: Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic and Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University and Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic and University of Pittsurgh and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
• Keywords: statistical rigor; statistical practice; applied statistics; preclinical research; animal research; translational research

Abstract

Scientific rigor in translational animal research is notoriously poor. Recent impassioned calls to minimize bias have received widespread attention. Yet, a critical appraisal of current statistical practice in animal research is still desperately needed, particularly for work yielding complex or longitudinal data. Thus, we systematically searched for experiments published 2017-2019 that employed murine models to test motor rehabilitative therapies. We present the prevalence of articles in which authors ignored assumptions of statistical tests or models, failed to address multiplicity or justify sample size, did not account for animals with partial data, or reported too little information to evaluate statistical choices. We determine whether statistical rigor is associated with the type of disease or therapy under investigation, minimization of bias through randomization or blinding, journal impact and criteria, or adherence to transparent reporting recommendations. Our work comprehensively assesses statistical misapplication in one area of animal research and provides a foundation for solutions to bring good statistical practice to this critical phase of translational research.