Journal article
Linking Symptom Inventories Using Semantic Textual Similarity
Journal of Neurotrauma, Vol.42(11-12), pp.1008-1020
2025
PMCID: PMC12169902
PMID: 40200899
Abstract
An extensive library of symptom inventories has been developed over time to measure clinical symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but this variety has led to several long-standing issues. Most notably, results drawn from different settings and studies are not comparable. This creates a fundamental problem in TBI diagnostics and outcome prediction, namely that it is not possible to equate results drawn from distinct tools and symptom inventories. Here, we present an approach using semantic textual similarity (STS) to link symptoms and scores across previously incongruous symptom inventories by ranking item text similarities according to their conceptual likeness. We tested the ability of four pretrained deep learning models to screen thousands of symptom description pairs for related content-a challenging task typically requiring expert panels. Models were tasked to predict symptom severity across four different inventories for 6,607 participants drawn from 16 international data sources. The STS approach achieved 74.8% accuracy across five tasks, outperforming other models tested. Correlation and factor analysis found the properties of the scales were broadly preserved under conversion. This work suggests that incorporating contextual, semantic information can assist expert decision-making processes, yielding broad gains for the harmonization of TBI assessment.
Details
- Title
- Linking Symptom Inventories Using Semantic Textual Similarity
- Authors
- Eamonn Kennedy - University of UtahShashank Vadlamani - University of UtahHannah M Lindsey - University of UtahKelly S Peterson - University of UtahKristen Dams O'Connor - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiRonak Agarwal - University of UtahHoushang H Amiri - Kerman University of Medical SciencesRaeda K Andersen - Georgia State UniversityTalin Babikian - University of California, Los AngelesDavid A Baron - Western University of Health SciencesErin D Bigler - University of UtahKaren Caeyenberghs - Deakin UniversityLisa Delano-Wood - VA San Diego Healthcare SystemSeth G Disner - Minneapolis VA Health Care SystemEkaterina Dobryakova - Kessler FoundationBlessen C Eapen - University of California, Los AngelesRachel M Edelstein - University of VirginiaCarrie Esopenko - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiHelen M Genova - Kessler FoundationElbert Geuze - Ministry of DefenceNaomi J Goodrich-Hunsaker - University of UtahJordan Grafman - Shirley Ryan AbilityLabAsta K Håberg - Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyCooper B Hodges - Brigham Young UniversityKristen R Hoskinson - The Ohio State UniversityElizabeth S Hovenden - University of UtahAndrei Irimia - University of Southern CaliforniaNeda Jahanshad - Imaging CenterRuchira M Jha - Barrow Neurological InstituteFinian Keleher - University of UtahKimbra Kenney - Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesInga K Koerte - Brigham and Women's HospitalSpencer W Liebel - University of UtahAbigail Livny - Sheba Medical CenterMarianne Løvstad - Sunnaas sykehusSarah L Martindale - Wake Forest UniversityJeffrey E Max - University of California San DiegoAndrew R Mayer - Mind Research NetworkTimothy B Meier - Medical College of WisconsinDeleene S Menefee - Baylor College of MedicineAbdalla Z Mohamed - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteStefania Mondello - University of MessinaMartin M Monti - University of California, Los AngelesRajendra A Morey - Duke UniversityVirginia Newcombe - University of CambridgeMary R Newsome - University of UtahAlexander Olsen - St Olav's University HospitalNicholas J Pastorek - Baylor College of MedicineMary Jo Pugh - University of UtahAdeel Razi - Monash UniversityJacob E Resch - University of VirginiaJared A Rowland - Wake Forest UniversityKelly Russell - University of ManitobaNicholas P Ryan - Deakin UniversityRandall S Scheibel - Baylor College of MedicineAdam T Schmidt - Texas Tech UniversityGershon Spitz - Monash UniversityJaclyn A Stephens - Colorado State UniversityAssaf Tal - Tel Aviv UniversityLeah D Talbert - Brigham Young UniversityMaria Carmela Tartaglia - University Health NetworkBrian A Taylor - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterSophia I Thomopoulos - Imaging CenterMaya Troyanskaya - Baylor College of MedicineEve M Valera - Harvard UniversityHarm Jan van der Horn - Mind Research NetworkJohn D Van Horn - University of VirginiaRagini Verma - University of PennsylvaniaBenjamin S C Wade - Harvard Medical SchoolWillian C Walker - Richmond Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Central Virginia VA Health Care System, Richmond, Virginia, USAAshley L Ware - Georgia State UniversityJ Kent Werner, Jr - Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesKeith Owen Yeates - University of CalgaryRoss D Zafonte - Spaulding Rehabilitation HospitalMichael M Zeineh - Stanford UniversityBrandon Zielinski - University of UtahPaul M Thompson - Imaging CenterFrank G Hillary - Pennsylvania State UniversityDavid F Tate - University of UtahElisabeth A Wilde - University of UtahEmily L Dennis (Corresponding Author) - University of Utah
- Publication details
- Journal of Neurotrauma, Vol.42(11-12), pp.1008-1020
- Publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1089/neu.2024.0301
- ISSN
- 1557-9042
- PMID
- 40200899; PMC12169902
- Data Availability
- We included 16 different sources of data in this study. Of these, 6 data sources are freely available online as part of the FITBIR data repository, hosted at https://fitbir.nih.gov. The other 10 datasets are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, pending IRB approval for dissemination of data, and additional institutional approval of data use and access.
- Organisation Unit
- Thompson Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991127004102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Neurosciences
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