Glossary: Clinical Research Terms
Navigating clinical terminology just got easier. Our comprehensive glossary is your ultimate resource for understanding key terms and concepts in clinical research.
A
- Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA)
- Acid Reflux
- Acne
- Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)
- Acute Hepatic Failure
- Acute Myocardial Infarction
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- Adaptive Trial Design
- Addiction
- Adjuvant Therapy
- Advanced Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LUSC)
- Adverse Event
- Adverse Event Grading
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Alopecia Areata
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Anesthesiology
- Aneurysm
- Angina Pectoris
- Angiogenesis
- Anterior Segment
- Antibody-Drug Conjugates
- Anticoagulation
- Antihistamines
- Anxiety
- Apocrine Glands
- Arrhythmia
- Arterial Closure
- Asthma
- Astigmatism
- Atherosclerosis
- Atopic Dermatitis
- Atrial Arrhythmia
- Atrial Fibrillation (Afib)
- Autoimmune Blistering Diseases (AIBDs)
- Autoimmune Bullous Skin Diseases
- Autoimmune Digestive Disorders
B
- B-lymphocytes
- Baldness
- Barrett’s Oesophagus
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Baseline
- Basket Trial
- Benign Tumor
- Bias
- Biliary Strictures
- Biologic
- Biologic License Application
- Biologic License Application (BLA)
- Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs)
- Biomarker
- Biomarker-Driven Randomization to Target Subjects
- Biomarker-Driven Therapies
- Biosimilars
- Blisters
- Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)
- Blue Light Therapy
- Bone Marrow Aspiration
- Botox
- Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO)
- Bronchial Thermoplasty
- Bronchiectasis
- Bullae
- Bullous Pemphigoid
- Burns
C
- Cancer
- Cancer Vaccines
- Candidiasis
- Capsule Endoscopy
- CAR T-Cell Therapy
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Laser Resurfacing
- Carbuncle
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)
- Carcinogens
- Carcinoma
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiology
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Carnitine Deficiency
- Case Report Form (CRF)
- Cataract
- Celiac Disease
- Cell and Gene Therapies
- Cell Therapy
- Cellulite
- Cellulitis
- Central Nervous System (CNS)
- Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO)
- Centralized Monitoring
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
- Checkpoint Inhibitors
- Chemical Peel
- Chemical Reconstruction of Skin Scars (CROSS)
- Chemoprevention
- Chemotherapy
- Cherry Angiomas
- Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CARs)
- Cholesterol
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Chronic Cough
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic Inflammation
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU)
- Chronic Wounds
- Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
- Cirrhosis
- Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (CCRCC)
- Clinical Research
- Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC)
- Clinical Study Build
- Clinical Trial
- ClinOps (Clinical Operations)
- Cognitive Impairment
- Colitis
- Collagen
- Colon Cancer
- Colonoscopy
- Companion Diagnostics CDx
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- Computed Tomography (CT or CTA scan)
- Concomitant Medication
- Conduct Disorder
- Conflict of Interest
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Conjunctivitis
- Constipation
- Contact Dermatitis
- Contract Research Organization (CRO)
- Control Group
- Controlled Clinical Trial
- Corticosteroid Creams
- CRA (Clinical Research Associate)
- Crohn’s Disease
- Cryotherapy
- cSCC (Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma)
- ctDNA
- CTMS (Clinical Trial Management System)
- Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
- Cyst
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS)
D
- Dandruff
- Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)
- Data and Safety Monitoring Plan (DSMP)
- Data Management
- Data Management Plan (DMP)
- Decentralized Clinical Trial (DCT)
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Depression
- Dermabrasion
- Dermal Fillers
- Dermatitis
- Dermatofibroma
- Dermatologist
- Dermatology
- Dermatomes
- Dermis
- Dermoscopy
- Device-Based Therapeutics
- Diabetes
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Diabetic Foot Ulcers
- Diabetic Macular Edema
- Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)
- Diabetic Nephropathy
- Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)
- Diarrhea
- Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease
- Digital Biomarkers
- Digital Phenotyping
- Dislocated Intraocular Lens (IOL)
- Diverticulitis
- DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index)
- Double Negative Breast Cancer
- Dry Eye Syndrome
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)
- Duodenal Ulcer
- Dyslipidemia
- Dysplasia
- Dysplastic Nevus
E
- EASI Score
- Eccrine glands
- eConsent
- Eczema
- Edema
- Efficacy
- Elastin
- Electrodesiccation
- Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA)
- Electronic Data Capture (EDC)
- Electronic Source (eSource)
- Eligibility Criteria
- Emphysema
- Endometriosis
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
- Endpoint
- Enrollment
- Enteral feeding
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Epidermis
- Epigenomics
- Epilepsy
- Epileptologists
- ePRO (Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome)
- Erythema
- Erythrocytes
- Esophageal Strictures
- Esophagitis
- eTMF (Electronic Trial Master File)
- Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC)
- External Control Arm
F
G
H
- Hair Follicle
- Headache – Cluster, Migraine
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule
- Healthy volunteers
- Heart Failure (Acute and Congestive)
- Heart Failure (HF)
- Helical Computed Tomography (Helical CT)
- Heloma (Corn)
- Hemangioma
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
- Hepatology
- Herpes Simplex
- Herpes Zoster (Shingles)
- Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)
- High-Dose Radiation Therapy (HDR)
- Hirsutism
- Histamine receptors
- Histopathology
- Hives
- Human Subject
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Hyperhidrosis
- Hyperkeratosis
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hypernatremia
- Hyperopia
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hyperpigmentation
- Hypertension
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
- Hypodermis (Subcutaneous Layer)
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypoparathyroidism
- Hypopigmentation
- Hypotension
- Hypoxia
I
- Ichthyosis
- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Ileostomy
- Immuno-oncology
- Immunodeficiency
- Immunology
- Immunosuppression
- Immunotherapy
- Impetigo
- In Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs)
- Incisional Infections in Colorectal Surgery Patients
- Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
- IND-Enabling Trial
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Inflammatory Myopathies
- Informed Consent
- Informed Consent Form
- Insomnia
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Independent Ethics Committee (IEC)
- Intermittent Claudication
- Internal Medicine
- International Council on Harmonization (ICH)
- Intertrigo
- Interventional Cardiology
- Investigational New Drug Application (IND)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- IRT (Interactive Response technology)
- itRECIST
L
M
- Macula
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- Malignant Tumor
- Mammography
- Masking/Blinding
- Mastectomy
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Medical Writing
- Melanin
- Melanoma
- Metabolomics
- Metastasis
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- mHealth
- Microbiome
- Microdermabrasion
- Microneedling
- Midface Volume Deficit
- Migraines
- Molecular Profiling
- Monoclonal Antibodies
- Mortality Rate
- Motility
- Mucopolysaccharidosis
- Mucositis
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Mutation
- Myalgia
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Myelogram
- Myocardial Infarction
- Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI)
- Myopia
N
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- National Institute of Health (NIH)
- Natural History Study
- Neoadjuvant Therapy
- Neoplasm
- Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)
- Neuroblastoma
- Neurocritical Care
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
- Neurogastroenterology
- Neuroinflammation
- Neurology
- Neuromuscular Medicine
- Neuromuscular Transmission
- Neuropathy
- Neuroscience
- Neutropenia
- Nevi (Moles)
- New Drug Application (NDA)
- NK Cells
- Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
- Novel Cytokines
- Nutrition
- Nutrition/Nutritional Disorders
O
- Objective Endpoints
- Occlusive Arterial Disease (OAD)
- Ocular Disease
- Oculocutaneous Albinism
- Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP)
- Omics
- Oncogenesis
- Oncology
- Open-Angle Glaucoma
- Open-Label Trial
- Ophthalmology
- Optic Nerve
- Orphan Drugs
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Osteosarcoma
- Ostomy
- Over-the-Counter (OTC) Applications
- Overall Survival
- Oxidative Damage
P
- Pain
- Palliative Care
- Palliative Chemotherapy
- Palmoplantar Pustulosis (PPP)
- Pancreatic Diseases
- Pancreatic Insufficiency
- Pancreatitis
- Papillary Layer
- Parafollicular Cell (C cell)
- Parenteral Nutrition
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Paronychia
- Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia
- PASI Score
- Patch Testing
- Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO)
- PDUFA
- Pediatric Neurology
- Pemphigus
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
- Pericytes
- Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
- Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD)
- Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)
- Peripheral Vein Grafts
- Personalized Medicine
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacovigilance
- Phase I
- Phase II
- Phase III
- Phase IV
- Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
- Phototherapy
- Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA)
- Pilosebaceous Unit
- Pinworm & Whipworm
- Placebo
- Placebo Controlled Study
- Plaque Psoriasis
- Plateletpheresis
- Polymyositis
- Pompe Disease
- Positron emission tomography (PET)
- Posterior Segment
- Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
- Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS)
- Pre-treatment Genomic-Based Cancer Screening
- Precision GI Medicine
- Precision Medicine
- Precision Oncology
- Presbyopia
- Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG)
- Principal Investigator or Primary Investigator (PI)
- Propensity Score Matching (PSM)
- Proteomics
- Protocol
- Protocol Amendments
- Protocol Deviations
- Prurigo Nodularis
- Pruritus
- Psoriasis
- Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
- Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP)
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Pulmonary Inflammation
- Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PVD)
- Pyoderma Gangrenosum (PG)
Q
R
- Radiopharmaceuticals
- Randomization
- Randomization and Trial Supply Management (RTSM)
- Rare Disease
- Rash
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Real World Evidence (RWE)
- Real-World Data (RWD)
- RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours)
- Recruitment Plan
- Recurrent Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Regulatory Approval
- Renal Failure
- Respiratory Infectious diseases
- Respiratory Insufficiency
- Retention Plan
- Retina
- Retinal Disease/ Retinopathy
- Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC)
- Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO)
- Retinoids
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Rheumatology
- Risk-Based Quality Management
- Rosacea
- Route of Administration
S
- Safety Monitoring Plan
- Salicylic Acid
- SaMDs (software as a medical device)
- Scabies
- Scarring
- SCC (Squamous Cell Carcinoma)
- Schizophrenia
- Scleroderma
- SCORAD Assessment
- Screening Log
- Screening Process
- Sebaceous Gland
- Sebaceous Hyperplasia
- Seborrheic Dermatitis
- Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
- Sequencing
- Short Bowel Syndrome
- Skin Cancer
- Skin Grafting
- Skin Lesion
- Skin Rejuvenation
- Skin Tag
- Sleep
- Smoking Cessation
- Source Data Verification (SDV)
- Source Document
- Spider Veins
- Spinal Cord Hemorrhage
- Spinal Cord Ischemia
- Sponsor Oversight
- ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
- Stable Angina
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs)
- Stent Implantation
- Stopping Rules
- Strategic Resourcing Solutions (SRS)
- Stratification
- Stratum basale (basal layer)
- Stratum Corneum
- Stratum Granulosum
- Striae (Stretch Marks)
- Stroke
- Study Coordinator
- Sub-I (The Sub-Investigator)
- Subcutaneous Fat
- Subcutaneous Tissue
- Subjective Endpoints
- Sunburn
- Swimmer’s Itch (Cercarial Dermatitis)
- Synthetic Control Arm