Revisiting Minamata disease through computational phenotypic similarity analysis.

ABSTRACT: Minamata disease, a severe neurological disorder caused by methylmercury exposure in 1950s Japan, is historically recognized for its profound impact on environmental health awareness. However, its phenotypic complexity and potential overlap with other neurological disorders have not been systematically assessed in a modern computational framework. In this study, we adopt a network approach to reinterpret Minamata disease within a broader disease similarity landscape. We mapped clinical symptoms from an extensive epidemiological survey of 269 Minamata patients to standardized Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms, constructing a comprehensive phenotypic profile. Using network-based and computational similarity measures-Jaccard Index, ontology-informed metrics (Resnik and GraphIC), and inform

SUBMITTER: Marchi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12944806 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature