Question

Narcolepsy is a rare neurological disorder which impacts approximately 2-5 out of every 10,000 individuals. While the exact causes of narcolepsy are unknown, several chemicals have been found to be associated with this disorder. You have also came across several claims that family history may be associated with narcolepsy, and would like to design a study to evaluate these claims.

What study design will you use? What is your target population?

Answer 1

A case-control study design can be used to evaluate the claims of family history being associated with narcolepsy. The target population for this study would include individuals with narcolepsy and individuals without narcolepsy, who would serve as controls.

Step-by-step explanation:

The study design that can be used to evaluate the claims of family history being associated with narcolepsy is a case-control study. In this study design, individuals with narcolepsy (cases) will be compared to individuals without narcolepsy (controls) to determine if there is a higher prevalence of family history of narcolepsy in cases compared to controls. This study design allows for the investigation of the association between family history and narcolepsy.

The target population for this study would be individuals with narcolepsy and individuals without narcolepsy, who would serve as controls. The study population can be selected from a clinical setting where individuals with narcolepsy seek treatment or support, and controls can be recruited from the general population.