Category: Statistics

Qual Life Res. 2025 Jun 6. doi: 10.1007/s11136-025-03962-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Long COVID is a long-term legacy of the global pandemic. This study aimed to illuminate how Long COVID impacts individuals, and how response-shift effects influence Long COVID’s impact. Methodologically, it expands the application of longitudinal statistical methods to test a more dynamic investigation of psychosocial factors in health over time.

METHODS: This quasi-experimental longitudinal cohort study collected data up to four times over 3 years of the COVID pandemic (May 2020 to April 2023). This study focused on 1151 participants divided into four Long-COVID Symptom Burden groups (Never Had COVID; Low, Medium, and High Long-COVID Symptom Burden). It examined COVID-specific outcomes: General Hardship, Healthcare Hardship, Worry, and Social Support. The Quality of Life Appraisal Profile_v2-Short Form assessed cognitive-appraisal processes. Direct and moderated response-shift effects were tested using longitudinal mixed models that examined main effects and interactions of individuals’ changes in cognitive-appraisal processes from their usual, over time, and by group over time, after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and individual’s usual appraisal processes, and considering the impact of multiple comparisons.

RESULTS: Notable response-shift effects were revealed on all four COVID-specific outcomes, reflecting both direct and moderated response-shift effects. The experience of COVID-specific adversity was related to various appraisal processes but the nature of the relationship often varied by Long-COVID symptom burden. The appraisal processes that were most salient included patterns of emphasis related to getting used to and handling demands or recent changes, problem-solving goals, and comparing oneself to similar others. Individuals in the high Long-COVID Symptom-Burden Group were particularly highlighted in response-shift effects. The broad conclusions of both raw and multiplicity-adjusted results were similar. That is, there were notable reprioritization and reconceptualization response-shift effects for all outcomes, and notable but fewer recalibration response-shift effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Response-shift effects, measured via the direct assessment of cognitive-appraisal processes, were prominent in dealing with the COVID pandemic. The present study documented that COVID-specific adversity can be attenuated or exacerbated depending on individuals’ patterns of emphasis, goals, and standards of comparison. The study’s utilization of data collected at four time points over 3 years of the global pandemic provided a more comprehensive and far-reaching evaluation of response shift than earlier work. The theory-driven analytic methodology developed in the present work facilitated a more nuanced description of direct and moderated response-shift effects.

PMID:40478517 | DOI:10.1007/s11136-025-03962-7

Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2025 Jun 6. doi: 10.1007/s10384-025-01209-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To examine the reoperation rate of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and clarify the risk factors for AMT reoperation in severe ocular surface (OS) disorders (OSD).

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS: We reviewed the medical records of all AMT cases between April 1998 and June 2019 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

METHODS: Primary diseases and AMT reoperation rates were examined. In severe OSD cases (Stevens-Johnson syndrome, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, and chemical/thermal burns), preoperative OS Grading Score (OSGS), surgical procedures combined with AMT, and risk factors for reoperation were investigated and assessed.

RESULTS: Over a period of 21 years and 3 months, 750 AMTs were performed on 664 eyes of 594 cases. AMT was repeated on 51 of those 664 eyes (7.7%), and most frequently performed on 25 out of 196 eyes (12.8%) afflicted with severe OSDs. In severe OSDs, OSGS was significantly higher in the reoperation group compared to no-reoperation group (P<0.05), suggesting corneal epithelial defects, conjunctival hyperemia, trichiasis, mucocutaneous junction involvement, and corneal opacity as being risk factors for re-AMT (univariate analysis). In logistic regression analysis, only conjunctival hyperemia was a risk factor, with odds ratios (OR) of 2.65 (95%CI: 1.34-5.22, P=0.005). AMT combined with cultivated or donor corneal epithelial transplantation reduced reoperation risk with an OR of 0.92 and 0.63, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: In severe OSD cases, the effect of AMT is limited. Higher OSGSs, especially in conjunctival hyperemia, are associated with a high risk of repeat AMT.

PMID:40478507 | DOI:10.1007/s10384-025-01209-z

J Neurooncol. 2025 Jun 6. doi: 10.1007/s11060-025-05025-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients with meningiomas often suffer from brain tumor-related epilepsy for which they are prescribed antiseizure medication (ASM). ASMs have been associated with neuropsychiatric side effects such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairments. However, the association between ASM use and mood and cognition in meningioma patients remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of ASM use, and specifically the use of levetiracetam, with depression, anxiety, and neurocognitive functioning.

METHODS: In this multicentre retrospective study, data from 187 meningioma patients were collected from neurocognitive tests, the HADS questionnaire, and medical records. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between ASM use, and depression, anxiety and neurocognitive impairment. Potential confounders were included based on the existing literature. Due to sample size limitations, the association of levetiracetam use with depression, anxiety and neurocognitive impairment could not be statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: The prevalence of depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment did not differ significantly for patients using ASM (n = 41) as compared to patients not using ASM (n = 146) (aOR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.26-2.54; aOR = 0.63; 95% CI 0.22-1.82; aOR = 1.42; 95% CI 0.51-3.98).

CONCLUSION: Our findings show no significant association between ASM use and mood and neurocognitive dysfunction in meningioma patients.

PMID:40478500 | DOI:10.1007/s11060-025-05025-w

Virchows Arch. 2025 Jun 6. doi: 10.1007/s00428-025-04117-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Current guidelines recommend pathologists to report percentage Gleason pattern 4 (GP4%) in Gleason score (GS) 7 prostate cancer (PCa) biopsies. However, it is unspecified whether the highest or overall GP4% should be reported. This study aims to clarify which quantification method correlates best with radical prostatectomy (RP) pathology. This study included 308 men with the highest GS 3 + 4 = 7, 4 + 3 = 7, or 4 + 4 = 8 on centrally revised systematic and/or targeted biopsies who underwent RP between 2018 and 2022. The highest and overall biopsy GP4% were compared with RP GP4% using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and adverse pathology (AP) (pT-stage ≥ T3, GS ≥ 4 + 3 = 7 and/or pN1) using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for clinical tumor stage, prostate specific antigen (PSA), percentage of tumor positive biopsies, biopsy modality (systematic/targeted/both), and cribriform pattern. Both quantification methods correlated with RP GP4% (both rho = 0.59), and no significant difference was found between them (p = 0.78). On multivariable analyses, both GP4% quantification methods were significantly associated with AP (per 10% increase, highest GP4% odds ratio [OR] 1.26 [95% CI 1.14-1.39], overall GP4% OR 1.38 [95% CI 1.22-1.58], both p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) was slightly better for overall (0.78 [95% CI 0.73-0.83]) than the highest GP4% (0.76 [95% CI 0.71-0.81], p = 0.041). This study found that the highest and overall biopsy GP4% both correlated with RP GP4%. Although the discriminative performance of the highest and overall GP4% was comparable with respect to AP at RP, the overall GP4% statistically slightly outperformed the highest GP4%. Including the overall GP4% may have added value in risk stratification and clinical decision-making in a subset of PCa patients.

PMID:40478475 | DOI:10.1007/s00428-025-04117-2

Arch Osteoporos. 2025 Jun 6;20(1):72. doi: 10.1007/s11657-025-01555-y.

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) compared to current practice for individuals aged 50 and older with fragility fractures in Iran. The FLS was associated with an additional cost of $50 and a gain of 0.03 QALYs, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $1663 per QALY, demonstrating its cost-effectiveness.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of a FLS program compared to current practice in Iran, from a societal perspective.

METHODS: The target population was patients aged 50 years or older with recent sentinel fragility fractures. Data were collected using various resources, including previously published literature, treatment guidelines, and hospitals. A state-based microsimulation model with a lifetime horizon was designed to simulate costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Treatment pathways for patients under current practice and FLS were compared using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs).

RESULTS: For patients aged 50 years and older with a sentinel fragility fracture, FLS was associated with an incremental cost of $50 and a gain of 0.03 QALYs compared to current practice. Consequently, the ICER was estimated at $1663 per QALY gained, which is below the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of one GDP per capita ($4466 per QALY). Simulations showed that comparing the current practice, FLS could prevent 59 new fractures and 10 related deaths per 1000 patients. The one-way sensitivity analysis indicated that treatment efficacy and medication costs exert the greatest influence on the ICER.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrate that FLS is cost-effective compared to current practice in Iran. Given the significant prevalence of osteoporosis and the increasing aging population in Iran, these results underscore the potential of FLS to enhance patient outcomes.

PMID:40478456 | DOI:10.1007/s11657-025-01555-y

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2025 Jun 6. doi: 10.1002/jmri.29835. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hypertension-induced alterations in brain network topology remain poorly understood, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers a promising approach for detecting early structural changes.

HYPOTHESIS: Rich-club organization undergoes progressive disruption from prehypertension to hypertension, and these alterations may serve as potential imaging biomarkers for hypertension.

STUDY TYPE: Cross-sectional.

SUBJECTS: Five hundred thirteen participants (150 healthy controls, 175 prehypertensive individuals, and 188 hypertensive patients).

SEQUENCE: DTI with an echo planar imaging sequence at 3.0 T.

ASSESSMENT: Whole-brain structural networks were constructed using deterministic fiber tracking. Modularity, rich-club organization (rich-club, feeder and local connections), small-world property, global efficiency, local efficiency, clustering coefficient, and nodal efficiency were quantified using graph-theoretical analysis. Network-based statistics (NBS) were applied to identify significant group differences in white matter connectivity.

STATISTICAL TESTS: Analysis of variance for group comparisons, with post hoc least significant difference t-testing. Logistic regression assessed the predictive power of network features, while Pearson correlation evaluated relationships between blood pressure and network disruptions. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to assess diagnostic performance. A significance threshold of p < 0.05 was applied.

RESULTS: Prehypertensive individuals exhibited significant early reductions in feeder connections, whereas hypertensive patients demonstrated widespread significant deterioration in rich-club connections. A statistically significant compensatory increase in local connection strength was observed in prehypertension but declined in hypertension. Logistic regression confirmed that rich-club connection strength and density effectively differentiated hypertensive individuals, with ROC analysis showing good discriminatory power (AUC: 0.803 and 0.816, respectively).

DATA CONCLUSION: This study showed progressive disruption of rich-club organization in prehypertension and hypertension. This disruption has the potential to be an early neuroimaging biomarker for identifying individuals at risk of hypertension-related brain dysfunction.

EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2.

TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

PMID:40476333 | DOI:10.1002/jmri.29835

Eur J Neurol. 2025 Jun;32(6):e70241. doi: 10.1111/ene.70241.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Motor neuron diseases (MND) are heterogeneous and complex neurodegenerative disorders. Biomarkers could facilitate early diagnosis, prognosis determination, and patient stratification. Among the most studied biomarkers are neurofilaments, with peripherin (PRPH), a specific type predominantly expressed in the peripheral nervous system, gaining attention. To date, no studies have evaluated PRPH in human plasma.

METHODS: Sandwich-ELISA was used to quantify plasma peripherin from 120 MND (100 ALS, 4 PMA, 15 PLS), 73 MND-mimics, and 38 healthy-controls (HCs). Plasma was collected at diagnosis or some months earlier. 41 ALS were evaluated longitudinally. ALSFRSr, MRC, spirometry, genetic tests, disease progression rate (PR), blood examinations, and neuropsychological tests were performed. Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, Cox regression, and Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS: Plasma PRPH levels differed significantly among groups (p < 0.0001), showing higher values in MND participants than MND mimics and HCs. Moreover, PRPH levels were elevated in PLS compared with HSP patients (p = 0.0001). Differences persisted after adjusting for age and sex. ROC curve demonstrated that PRPH discriminated MND from MND mimics (AUC = 0.85). Elevated PRPH correlated positively with ALSFRSr and lower motor neuron index, whereas inversely with disease progression rate. Higher PRPH levels at the beginning of the disease were associated with longer survival.

DISCUSSION: Plasma PRPH is raised in MND, particularly ALS, from the earliest stages, distinguishing MND from mimics and correlating with clinical parameters and survival. This suggests PRPH may reflect an endogenous response of lower motor neuron to injury. Further multicenter studies are required to refine the diagnostic and prognostic utility of PRPH in MND.

PMID:40476320 | DOI:10.1111/ene.70241

Br J Math Stat Psychol. 2025 Jun 6. doi: 10.1111/bmsp.12395. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The Elo Rating System which originates from competitive chess has been widely utilised in large-scale online educational applications where it is used for on-the-fly estimation of ability, item calibration, and adaptivity. In this paper, we aim to critically analyse the shortcomings of the Elo rating system in an educational context, shedding light on its measurement properties and when these may fall short in accurately capturing student abilities and item difficulties. In a simulation study, we look at the asymptotic properties of the Elo rating system. Our results show that the Elo ratings are generally not unbiased and their variances are context-dependent. Furthermore, in scenarios where items are selected adaptively based on the current ratings and the item difficulties are updated alongside the student abilities, the variance of the ratings across items and students artificially increases over time and as a result the ratings do not converge. We propose a solution to this problem which entails using two parallel chains of ratings which remove the dependence of item selection on the current errors in the ratings.

PMID:40476309 | DOI:10.1111/bmsp.12395

Stat Med. 2025 Jun;44(13-14):e70123. doi: 10.1002/sim.70123.

ABSTRACT

In longitudinal observational studies with time-varying confounders, the generalized computation algorithm formula (g-formula) is a principled tool to estimate the average causal effect of a treatment regimen. However, the standard non-iterative g-formula implementation requires specifying both the conditional distribution of the outcomes and the joint distribution of all time-varying covariates. This process can be cumbersome to implement and is prone to model misspecification bias. As an alternative, the iterative conditional expectation (ICE) g-formula estimator solely depends on a series of nested outcome regressions and avoids the need for specifying the full distribution of all time-varying covariates. This simplicity lends itself to the natural integration of flexible machine learning techniques to develop more robust average causal effect estimators with time-varying treatments. In this work, we introduce a Bayesian approach that includes parametric regressions and Bayesian Additive Regression Trees to flexibly model a series of outcome surfaces. We fit the ICE g-formula and develop a sampling algorithm to obtain samples from the posterior distribution of the final causal effect estimator. We illustrate the performance characteristics of the Bayesian ICE estimator and the associated variations via simulation studies and applications to two real world data examples.

PMID:40476299 | DOI:10.1002/sim.70123

Euro Surveill. 2025 Jun;30(22). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.22.2400594.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundMost Toxoplasma gondii infections in humans are considered foodborne, but the relative importance of the various routes of infection is largely unknown. Consumption of green produce contaminated with T. gondii oocysts has been identified as a possible source.AimWe aimed to estimate the occurrence and prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in commercially available ready-to-eat (RTE) salad mixes in 10 European countries.MethodsA real-time PCR-based method for oocyst detection was developed and optimised by two laboratories and validated in an interlaboratory test. This detection method and a harmonised sampling strategy were applied in a multi-country study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate risk factors for oocyst contamination of RTE salad.ResultsThe real-time PCR method had a detection limit of 10 oocysts per 30 g of salad. We collected 3,329 RTE salad samples (baby leaf and cut leaf mixes) from October 2021 to September 2022. The prevalence of T. gondii oocyst contamination was 4.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4-4.8%; n = 3,293). In multivariable regression analysis, winter season, sampling and packaging of salad in Northern Europe and production of salad in Western Europe were associated with detection of T. gondii, with no statistically significant differences between salad types.ConclusionWe estimated the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in RTE leafy green salads using a validated and standardised procedure to assess the potential risk for human infection; highlighting the need to address this risk at each critical point of the salad production chain.

PMID:40476292 | DOI:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.22.2400594