Sample size evolution in neuroimaging research: An evaluation of highly-cited studies (1990-2012) and of latest practices (2017-2018) in high-impact journals.

NeuroImage
Denes Szucs, John P A Ioannidis

Abstract

We evaluated 1038 of the most cited structural and functional (fMRI) magnetic resonance brain imaging papers (1161 studies) published during 1990-2012 and 270 papers (300 studies) published in top neuroimaging journals in 2017 and 2018. 96% of highly cited experimental fMRI studies had a single group of participants and these studies had median sample size of 12, highly cited clinical fMRI studies (with patient participants) had median sample size of 14.5, and clinical structural MRI studies had median sample size of 50. The sample size of highly cited experimental fMRI studies increased at a rate of 0.74 participant/year and this rate of increase was commensurate with the median sample sizes of neuroimaging studies published in top neuroimaging journals in 2017 (23 participants) and 2018 (24 participants). Only 4 of 131 papers in 2017 and 5 of 142 papers in 2018 had pre-study power calculations, most for single t-tests and correlations. Only 14% of highly cited papers reported the number of excluded participants whereas 49% of papers with their own data in 2017 and 2018 reported excluded participants. Publishers and funders should require pre-study power calculations necessitating the specification of effect sizes. The field s...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 18, 2018·International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics : JOSE·Chrystal JosephNigel Kevin Jalsa
Dec 4, 2020·Journal of Neuroimaging : Official Journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging·Ruiyang GeFidel Vila-Rodriguez
Jan 7, 2021·Brain Imaging and Behavior·Alexander WeigardCynthia Huang-Pollock
Apr 4, 2021·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Nayoung Kim, M Justin Kim
Apr 27, 2021·International Journal of Psychophysiology : Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·Peter E ClaysonGreg Hajcak
May 14, 2021·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·Michael I DemidenkoDaniel P Keating
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Jul 17, 2021·Human Brain Mapping·Camille Michèle WilliamsFranck Ramus
Aug 4, 2021·Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience·Fatima ErthalIvan Figueira
Aug 24, 2021·Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience·Longxi Li, Daniel M Smith
Sep 11, 2021·International Journal of Psychology : Journal International De Psychologie·MohammadHasan SharifianMohammad Mahdi Fathian Boroujeni
Sep 11, 2021·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Dianna IlykaSarah Lloyd-Fox
Sep 30, 2021·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Ionela BaraRichard Ramsey
Nov 18, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·James K RillingMinwoo Lee

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