 |
|
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Heterogeneous Susceptibility, Trauma, and Epidemiology
Jack E. Riggs, MD
Arch Neurol. 1996;53(3):225-227.
Abstract
Epidemiological studies relating antecedent trauma and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) demonstrate a contradiction: positive (but poorly structured) retrospective case-control studies and negative (but uninterpretably small) prospective cohort studies. In this report, the equations for the case-control odds ratio and cohort relative risk in populations with heterogeneous susceptibility to ALS are analyzed. The case-control odds ratio and cohort relative risk converge as the proportion of ALS-nonsusceptible individuals in a population increases and the rate of ALS in nonsusceptible individuals decreases. Cohort studies of antecedent trauma and ALS have no significant advantage over case-control studies in populations in which most individuals are relatively nonsusceptible to ALS. Accordingly, the relationship between antecedent trauma and ALS can be addressed by carefully defined case-control studies.
Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Neurology, Medicine, and Community Medicine, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown.
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter
What's this?
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
Descriptive epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: new evidence and unsolved issues
Logroscino et al.
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 2008;79:6-11.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
A cause for concern?
McCrory
Br. J. Sports. Med. 2005;39:249-249.
FULL TEXT
Occurrence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among Gulf War veterans
Horner et al.
Neurology 2003;61:742-749.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Excess incidence of ALS in young Gulf War veterans
Haley
Neurology 2003;61:750-756.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
|
