Proband: An Overview
The term “proband” is a Latin word which translates to “the one who is put forward” and is commonly used in medical and research contexts. In clinical studies, a proband is a person chosen from a group of participants to be the primary focus of the study. The proband is typically the first person to be studied and is used to provide information about the medical condition or disease that is under investigation (Rees et al., 2017). This information can be used to draw conclusions or make suggestions about how to best treat or diagnose the condition.
In family studies, a proband is an individual within a family who is selected to receive a genetic test or other medical examination. The proband is chosen based on the presence of a certain medical condition or disease within the family. The proband’s medical information is then used to inform the genetic tests or medical tests of other family members, who may share the same medical condition or disease (Schaefer, 2019). This information can then be used to better understand the inheritance patterns of the condition or disease within the family.
In research studies, a proband is an individual who is selected to represent a particular group or population. The proband is chosen based on certain characteristics or traits that are shared by the population under study. The proband’s information is then used to draw conclusions about the population as a whole. This information can be used to inform future research or study designs (Lempp, 2020).
Overall, the term “proband” is used to describe an individual who is chosen to represent a particular group or population in medical, family, and research studies. The proband is typically the first person to be studied and is used to provide information about the medical condition or disease that is under investigation. This information can then be used to draw conclusions or make suggestions about how to best treat or diagnose the condition.
References
Lempp, S. (2020). Understanding the proband in clinical and epidemiological research. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 20(1), 34. doi: 10.1186/s12874-020-0908-z
Rees, E. M., Flanagan, S. E., Brown, M. A., & Ferner, R. E. (2017). Probands in clinical research: a review. The Lancet, 389(10080), 2126–2133. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30382-X
Schaefer, G. B. (2019). The role of the proband in family studies. Human Genetics, 138(6-7), 547–554. doi: 10.1007/s00439-019-02029-2