Table 1.

Possible Combinations of Competence and Incompetence for Studies of Consent

	Parent Study Consent (PC)
Capacity Study Consent (CC)	Competent	Incompetent
Competent	A	B
Incompetent	C*	D

^*Case C is probably least likely, although it is at least conceivable. For instance, studies of capacity are somewhat abstract; thus a participant could fail to grasp the nature and purpose of a study of consent capacity while simultaneously adequately comprehending the more tangible nature of a clinical trial.