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Life sciences · Journal article
Trials · July 28, 2026
Reinforces what was already believed, rather than introducing something new.
This registry-based observational study of 18,609 neurology and psychiatry drug trials from ClinicalTrials.gov documents persistent design and reporting heterogeneity despite decades of registration requirements. Using natural language processing with manual validation, the analysis characterizes trial characteristics including phase, randomization, masking, sample size, funding source, and results reporting practices across temporal trends and disease categories. The findings are descriptive and confirmatory of known limitations in trial design and selective reporting, without causal inference or intervention comparison.
Registry-based observational meta-epidemiological study. Interventional drug trials in neurology and psychiatry registered on ClinicalTrials.gov; no specific exclusion criteria detailed.. Intervention: Natural language processing extraction and harmonization of registered trial data. n = 18,609. ClinicalTrials.gov (US registry); geographic location of individual trials not specified..
18,609 interventional trials included; most early phase, single-center, and small (11–50 participants typical); 60% completed 50% of trials completed after 2007 reported results, with mean delay of 12 months 36% industry-funded with declining share over time and corresponding increase in university sponsorship
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
Clinicians and researchers should recognize that neurology and psychiatry drug trials remain heterogeneous in design and inconsistent in results reporting; this registry analysis demonstrates systemic gaps in trial transparency and comparability despite regulatory requirements, informing expectations about evidence quality and the need for careful appraisal of individual trials.
Registry-based meta-epidemiological study of 18,609 trials documenting established design and reporting practices in neurology/psychiatry drug trials; confirms persistent limitations but lacks intervention comparison or causal inference.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
Clinicians and researchers should recognize that neurology and psychiatry drug trials remain heterogeneous in design and inconsistent in results reporting; this registry analysis demonstrates systemic gaps in trial transparency and comparability despite regulatory requirements, informing expectations about evidence quality and the need for careful appraisal of individual trials.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Abstract Background Clinical trial registries document trial design, funding, and results reporting, but heterogeneous and unstructured entries limit cross-trial comparison. Consequently, it is unclear how neurology and psychiatry drug trials are designed and reported in practice, hampering comparison of studies, understanding of the available evidence, and planning of future trials. The aim of this study was to quantify trial design features, results reporting practices, and research focus in neurology and psychiatry drug trials using harmonized registry data. Methods This is a registry-based observational study of interventional neurology and psychiatry drug trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov between 2000 and 2023. Using natural language processing (NLP) with manual validation, we extracted and harmonized trial information on phase, randomization, masking, sample size, funding source, results reporting, and target diseases and drugs. We also performed content-based clustering and visualization to explore patterns across trials by drug and disease category. We analyzed temporal trends and differences across trial characteristics. Results We included 18,609 trials. Most were early phase, single-center, and small, typically enrolling 11–50 participants; 60% were completed. Industry funded 36% of trials, with a declining share over time and a corresponding increase in university sponsorship. Ten percent of trials were non-randomized and 38% were open label. Among trials completed after 2007, 50% reported results, with a mean delay of 12 months. The most frequently studied conditions were pain (10%), schizophrenia (8%), depression (8%), and Alzheimer’s disease (7%). Drug testing was widely distributed, with atypical antipsychotics, levodopa, and ketamine each accounting for 1–2% of trials. Content-based clustering identified disease-specific groupings of trials. Harmonized data are available through an interactive dashboard. Conclusions Registered neurology and psychiatry drug trials show persistent limitations in design and results reporting despite two decades of registry requirements. Registry-based analyses using computational harmonization can support empirical evaluation of trial practices and inform future trial design and reporting.
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