The research coordinator will generically label the treatment assignments to group A and B to ensure blinding is maintained.
Future studies with random assignment to groups are nevertheless required to investigate the causal connection more directly.
Control mice received no additional treatment after randomization and assignment to groups.
Assignment to groups was based on the generally accepted diagnostic protocol RDC/TMD.
Propensity score matching methodology has a strong statistical lineage in situations of nonrandom assignment to groups.
First, the quasi-experimental study design is subject to selection bias owing to nonrandom assignment to groups.
Patient assignment to groups is based on DNA sequencing data (M) and results of PCA and hierarchical clustering (N1, N2).
Assignment to groups was counterbalanced according to both pre-operative performance levels (% choices to the HR arm), and left right allocation of the HR arm.
The codes were stored separately at the hospital department secretary's office to ensure that no manipulation occurred after the assignment to groups.
The research team and the participants will be blinded to the randomization process, and assignment to groups will only be disclosed after baseline testing.
Since the assignment to groups was out of our control, we will examine in the analyses whether propensity score matching is necessary.
