Canadian journal of gastroenterology & hepatology
Symptom Network Analysis in Patients With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
By Wang M, Shui AM, Hatchett J and 11 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) experience numerous symptoms that impact quality of life. We sought to identify PSC-specific symptom clusters and relationships between symptoms to better understand the lived experience of PSC patients.
Methods
Presence and severity of 16 symptoms were identified from the international "Our Voices" survey collected by PSC Partners Seeking A Cure in 2020. LASSO-regularized partial correlation network analysis was performed using Spearman correlations. The primary analysis utilized symptoms reported within the past 6 months of survey completion, with subgroup analyses conducted on patients with and without inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Expected influence was computed to quantify the importance of each measure within networks. The Spinglass algorithm was employed to identify communities within networks.
