Skip to main content

Table 1 Research question in PICOTS format

From: Cortisol levels in different tissue samples in posttraumatic stress disorder patients versus controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

PICOTS

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Patients or populations

Adults aged 18 years or older

Patients with current PTSD based on DSM/ICD criteria

Exposures

Trauma exposure fulfilling DSM/ICD criteria occurring at least a month prior to assessment in PTSD patients and TEC

Comparison group(s)

PTSD patients versus all controls

Subgroup analysis:

 PTSD patients versus TEC

 PTSD patients versus TUC

Outcomes

Basal or baseline cortisol levels (mean levels and standard deviation) measured in different tissue types

Timing

At least 1 month since trauma exposure in PTSD patients and TEC

Setting

Any setting (inpatient, outpatient, community settings)

Study design

Any study design where cortisol levels are compared in patients versus controls (e.g. cross-sectional, case-control and cohort)

  1. DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; ICD, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems; PICOTS, Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, Timing, Setting; PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder; TEC, trauma-exposed controls; TUC, trauma-unexposed controls