An overview of statistical approaches for adaptive designs and design modifications.

With adaptive design methods for clinical trials, design elements such as sample size or further interim sample sizes may be changed during the course of the trial depending on all previously collected data. The focus of the overview is on group sequential approaches where the types of adaptations need not be specified in advance. An overview of the different statistical approaches for adaptive design methods proposed in the literature is given, relations between these methods are described and some perspectives of application and for future research are discussed.