GRANT ET AL (2008)- METHODS/SAMPLES

Question 1

What research methods were used in Grant et al (2008)?

Answer 1

• Clinical trial (2) - conducted between 16-18 weeks
• Double blind- neither ppts/ investigators knew who was taking placebo/active drugs.
• Placebo-controlled- one group recieved the nalmefene or naltrexone and the others recieved placebos

Question 2

Describe the different trials/ conditions?

Answer 2

There were two separate clinical trials. Some ppts were randomly assinged to a clinical trial testing naltrexone. Others were in a different trial testing nalmefene.
Trial 1
1. Placebo
2. Nalmefene (25mg) a day.
3. Nalmefene (50mg) a day.
4. Nalmefene (100mg) a day
Trial 2:
1. Placebo drug
2. Naltrexone (50 mg) a day.
3. Naltrexone (100mg) a day.
4. Naltrexone (150 mg) a day.
Across both trials approx. 25% of the ppts were given a placebo as a control

Question 3

How much ppts were in Grant et al (2008) study?

Answer 3

• 284 patients

Question 4

Describe the sample

Answer 4

• 284 patients (with PG who gambled in the last 2 weeks)
• American
• Equal number of women/men

Question 5

Summarise the procedure

Answer 5

1. Random assignment to either the Nalmefene or Naltrexone trial
2. Pyschometric methods- PG-YBOCS, other questionnaires for assessing psychological function, anxiety, depression.
3. Semi-structured interviews.

Question 6

Explain the procedure of Grant et al (2008)

Answer 6

1. Random assignment- ppts were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in each trials (Nalmefene 25mg, 50mg, 100mg vs placebo or Naltrexone 25mg, 50mg, 100mg vs placebo)
2. Clinically adminsitered scales: Y-BOCS (to measure symptom severity over the last 7 days in terms of gambling thoughts, urges, and behaviour. Other scales were used to assess psychological functioning, anxiety and unipolar depression.
3. Semi-structured interview: use to gather info on family history (particularly first-degree relatives with alcoholism)

Question 7

What is a clinical trial?

Answer 7

a research study that tests the safety and effectiveness of new medical treatments, drugs, or procedures in people

Question 8

What is the PG-YBOCS?

Answer 8

• Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (modified for gambling)
• A 10 item clinically-administered scale used to measure symptom severity over the last 7 days in terms of gambling thoughts, urges, and behaviour (each item rated on a 5 point scale)

Question 9

Why use a double-blind procedure?

Answer 9

Reduces bias- prevent demand characteristics, expectation effects in ppts, and research bias in researcher.
Controls for placebo effects- helps separate real drug effects from psychological effects (placebo)

Question 10

What research design was used?

Answer 10

Independent measures design (ppts were randomally allocated to one of 4 conditions in each trial)

Question 11

Diagnosis of the ppts?

Answer 11

Pathological gambling
(gambled in the last 2 weeks)

Question 12

Gender of the ppts?

Answer 12

Equal number of males and females

Question 13

Location and duration- Grant et al (2008)

Answer 13

Location: America
Duration 16-18 weeks

Question 14

What was the IV and DV?

Answer 14

Independent Variable: Type of treatment (naltrexone vs. placebo)

Dependent Variable: Changes in gambling behavior and urges

Question 15

How much ppts recieved placebo’s across the trials?

Answer 15

Across both trials approx. 25% of the ppts were given a placebo as a control

Question 16

What data collection methods were used?

Answer 16

1. PG-YBOCS
2. Semi-structured interviews
3. Pychometric scales measuring psychological fuctioning, anxiety and depression