Logistic Model Analysis of Neurological Findings in Minamata Disease and the Predicting Index

Autor: Tomoko Kodama, Takao Kitano, Junji Wakamiya, Kimiyoshi Arimura, Masanori Nakagawa, Makoto Futatsuka, Suminori Akiba, Mitsuhiro Osame
Rok vydání: 2002
Předmět:
Zdroj: Internal Medicine. 41:14-19
ISSN: 1349-7235
0918-2918
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.41.14
Popis: Objective To establish a statistical diagnostic method to identify patients with Minamata disease (MD) considering factors of aging and sex, we analyzed the neurological findings in MD patients, inhabitants in a methylmercury polluted (MP) area, and inhabitants in a non-MP area. Materials and Methods We compared the neurological findings in MD patients and inhabitants aged more than 40 years in the non-MP area. Based on the different frequencies of the neurological signs in the two groups, we devised the following formula to calculate the predicting index for MD: predicting index = 1/(1+e-x)×100 (The value of x was calculated using the regression coefficients of each neurological finding obtained from logistic analysis. The index 100 indicated MD, and 0, non-MD). Results Using this method, we found that 100% of male and 98% of female patients with MD (95 cases) gave predicting indices higher than 95. Five percent of the aged inhabitants in the MP area (598 inhabitants) and 0.2% of those in the non-MP area (558 inhabitants) gave predicting indices of 50 or higher. Conclusion Our statistical diagnostic method for MD was useful in distinguishing MD patients from healthy elders based on their neurological findings.(Internal Medicine 41: 14-19, 2002)
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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