Crossover Design

Crossover (Study) Design: A type of longitudinal, repeated measures quasi-experimental design in which each group receives both treatments, but at different times. It is named "crossover" due to the patients' "crossing-over" to the other treatment or sham group after a specified period of time.

• This type of study has the advantage of every individual serving as their own control, which may reduce the influence of confounding variables.
• Unfortunately, the design itself introduces the chances that anyone receiving the experimental variable in the first period will continue to be effected in the second period.

In a study by Senna et al., a cross-over design was used to investigate the difference load made on inter-set rest intervals (1).

1. Senna, G.W., Rodrigues, B.M., Sandy, Scudese, Bianco, A, & Dantas, E.H.M. (2017). Heavy vs light load single-joint exercise performance with different intervals. Journal of Human Kinetics, 58, 197-206.

Image Reference: Design, Analysis, and Reporting of Crossover Trials for Inclusion in a Meta-Analysis - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Illustration-of-the-design-and-analysis-of-a-crossover-trial-Carryover-effect-If-A-is_fig7_281173748 [accessed 31 May, 2023]