Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38228087›Full record

SynthesisEpidemiology and health2024

The bounds of meta-analytics and an alternative method.

Ramalingam Shanmugam, Mohammad Tabatabai, Derek Wilus, Karan P Singh

Open access · diamondAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Epidemiology and health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ramalingam ShanmugamSchool of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA.
Mohammad TabatabaiMeharry Medical College, School of Graduate Studies, Nashville, TN, USA.
Derek WilusMeharry Medical College, School of Graduate Studies, Nashville, TN, USA.
Karan P SinghDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, USA.
Meharry Medical College · USTexas State University · US

Funding

The RCMI Program in Health Disparities Research at Meharry Medical College - SupplementU54MD007586 · NIMHD · MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE · PI Samuel Evans Adunyah, JAMES E HILDRETH · 2017 to 2026
$48.2M
Meharry RCMI Program in Women's Health ResearchG12MD007586 · NIMHD · MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE · PI HILDRETH, JAMES E · 2012 to 2016
$7.8M
NIMHD NIH HHS G12 MD007586NIMHD NIH HHS U54 MD007586
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesMeta-analysis is a statistical appraisal of the data analytic implications of published articles (Y), estimating parameters including the odds ratio and relative risk. This information is helpful for evaluating the significance of the findings. The Higgins I2 index is often used to measure heterogeneity among studies. The objectives of this article are to amend the Higgins I2 index score in a novel and innovative way and to make it more useful in practice.

methodsHeterogeneity among study populations can be affected by many sources, including the sample size and study design. They influence the Cochran Q score and, thus, the Higgins I2 score. In this regard, the I2 score is not an absolute indicator of heterogeneity. Q changes by bound as Y increases unboundedly. An innovative methodology is devised to show the conditional and unconditional probability structures.

resultsVarious properties are derived, including showing that a zero correlation between Q and Y does not necessarily mean that they are independent. A new alternative statistic, S2, is derived and applied to mild cognitive impairment and coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination for meta-analysis.

conclusionsA hidden shortcoming of the Higgins I2 index is overcome in this article by amending the Higgins I2 score. The usefulness of the proposed methodology is illustrated using 2 examples. The findings have potential health policy implications.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionCOVID-19HumansCognitive impairmentCOVID-19HeterogeneityRiskVaccination

Identifiers

PMID38228087
PMCPMC11040225
OpenAlexW4390667832

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.