title: Methodological issues in clinical trials of drug and behavior therapies.
abstract: Trials that compare drug and behavior therapies or evaluate combination therapy raise special methodological issues. This article reviews these methodological issues and, where possible, offers guidelines for addressing them. Sources of bias in the selection and recruitment of participants and in the measurement of treatment outcomes are discussed. In addition, methodological problems presented by the differing structures of behavior and drug therapy, by confounding variables, such as allegiance effects, differential expectations and preferences for drug or behavior therapy, and differential adherence with drug or behavior therapy also are reviewed. Issues in the selection of appropriate control groups are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens 45701-2979, USA
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Holroyd
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andrasik
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D018579:Patient Selection; D012107:Research Design