Some Doctors Believe That a Certain Drug Reduces The Duration Of Episodes Of Vertigo GMAT Critical Reasoning

Question: Some doctors believe that a certain drug reduces the duration of episodes of vertigo, claiming that the average duration of vertigo for people who suffer from it has decreased since the drug was introduced. However, during a recent three-month shortage of the drug, there was no significant change in the average duration of vertigo. Thus, we can conclude that the drug has no effect on the duration of vertigo.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?

(A) If a drug made a difference in the duration of vertigo, a three-month shortage of that drug would have caused a significant change in the average duration of vertigo.
(B) If there were any change in the average duration of vertigo since the introduction of the drug, it would have demonstrated that the drug has an effect on the duration of vertigo.
(C) A period of time greater than three months would not have been better to use in judging whether the drug has an effect on the duration of vertigo.
(D) Changes in diet and smoking habits are not responsible for any change in the average duration of vertigo since the introduction of the drug.
(E) There are various significant factors other than drugs that decrease the duration of vertigo for many people who suffer from it.

Answer: A
Explanation:

(A) If a drug made a difference in the duration of vertigo, a three-month shortage of that drug would have caused a significant change in the average duration of vertigo. The given statement is correct because it was believed by few docs that certain drugs reduce the duration of episodes of vertigo. This led to another intermediate claim that since the drug was introduced, the average duration of vertigo for people who suffer from it has decreased.

(B) If there were any change in the average duration of vertigo since the introduction of the drug, it would have demonstrated that the drug has an effect on the duration of vertigo. The given statement is incorrect because this doesn’t give any proof that the drug is effective.

(C) A period of time greater than three months would not have been better to use in judging whether the drug has an effect on the duration of vertigo. The given statement is incorrect because the statement is irrelevant and does not support the argument.

(D) Changes in diet and smoking habits are not responsible for any change in the average duration of vertigo since the introduction of the drug. The given statement is incorrect because the main thing that we are dealing with is something that is out of scope- diet, smoking . The argument does not care about all these.

(E) There are various significant factors other than drugs that decrease the duration of vertigo for many people who suffer from it. The given statement is incorrect because this statement is out of scope. Factors other than drugs that decrease the duration of vertigo, does not prove that the drug is not able to reduce the duration of vertigo. There may be other factors that can decrease the duration of vertigo, while the drug may still have the effect.

“Some doctors believe that a certain drug reduces the duration of episodes of vertigo”- is a question of critical reasoning in a section of GMAT Verbal Reasoning. It examines the logical reasoning of the candidate in the test. The Critical Reasoning question type is used to measure critical business skills. GMAT Critical Reasoning questions assess a distinct set of qualities associated with logic. The students preparing for the GMAT will experience the argument analysis of Critical Reasoning for the first time to substantiate their logic.

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