Bayesian approach to longitudinal craniofacial growth: The Craniofacial Growth Consortium Study

Area of Science:

• Human Growth and Development
• Craniofacial Biology
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Early 20th-century North American studies investigated childhood growth.
• The Craniofacial Growth Consortium Study (CGCS) integrates data from six such studies.
• The CGCS comprises 15,407 lateral cephalograms from 1,913 individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and compare craniofacial growth patterns across six North American locations.
• To assess the feasibility and validity of combining data from multiple historical growth studies.
• To identify key craniofacial growth milestones and trajectories.

Main Methods:

• Standard cephalometric points were collected and averaged.
• Twelve craniofacial measures were calculated from averaged coordinates.
• Multilevel double logistic equations and Bayesian inference were used to model growth trajectories and compare study differences.

Main Results:

• Growth models successfully identified key milestones like peak growth velocity and growth cessation for most traits.
• Results showed remarkable similarity in craniofacial growth milestone estimates and curve shapes across the six studies.
• Minor variations were attributed to differences in protocol, sample, or geography, not introducing substantial bias.

Conclusions:

• The Craniofacial Growth Consortium Study (CGCS) data can be combined without significant bias.
• The integrated CGCS dataset offers an unparalleled resource for studying craniofacial growth from childhood to adulthood.
• This comprehensive dataset facilitates detailed examination of human craniofacial development.