Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT): Considerations for Neuropsychological Research

Abstract

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a pillar of clinical medicine (Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes, & Richardson, 1996), but only recently has this been systematically discussed within the context of clinical neuropsychology (e.g., Chelune, 2010). Across the medical sciences, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are often considered the most important source of evidence for treatment efficacy. To facilitate the conduct, dissemination, and evaluation of research findings, reporting standards have been implemented, including the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement. This paper considers the implications of the CONSORT statement for the reporting of clinical trials that include neuropsychological endpoints. Adopting specific guidelines for trials involving neuropsychology endpoints will ultimately serve to strengthen the empirical evidence base by increasing uniformity within the literature, decrease ambiguity in reporting, improving trial design, and fostering methodological transparency. Implementing uniform reporting standards will also facilitate meta-analytic review of evidence from published trials, benefiting researchers, clinicians, educators and practitioners, as well as journal editors, reviewers, and ultimately, health care consumers.