TY - JOUR
T1 - Age estimation by assessment of pulp chamber volume: a Bayesian network for the evaluation of dental evidence
AU - Sironi, Emanuele
AU - Taroni, Franco
AU - Baldinotti, Claudio
AU - Nardi, Cosimo
AU - Norelli, Gian Aristide
AU - Gallidabino, Matteo
AU - Pinchi, Vilma
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the performance of a Bayesian method in the evaluation of dental age-related evidence collected by means of a geometrical approximation procedure of the pulp chamber volume. Measurement of this volume was based on three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography images. Methods: The Bayesian method was applied by means of a probabilistic graphical model, namely a Bayesian network. Performance of that method was investigated in terms of accuracy and bias of the decisional outcomes. Influence of an informed elicitation of the prior belief of chronological age was also studied by means of a sensitivity analysis. Results: Outcomes in terms of accuracy were adequate with standard requirements for forensic adult age estimation. Findings also indicated that the Bayesian method does not show a particular tendency towards under- or overestimation of the age variable. Outcomes of the sensitivity analysis showed that results on estimation are improved with a ration elicitation of the prior probabilities of age.
AB - Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the performance of a Bayesian method in the evaluation of dental age-related evidence collected by means of a geometrical approximation procedure of the pulp chamber volume. Measurement of this volume was based on three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography images. Methods: The Bayesian method was applied by means of a probabilistic graphical model, namely a Bayesian network. Performance of that method was investigated in terms of accuracy and bias of the decisional outcomes. Influence of an informed elicitation of the prior belief of chronological age was also studied by means of a sensitivity analysis. Results: Outcomes in terms of accuracy were adequate with standard requirements for forensic adult age estimation. Findings also indicated that the Bayesian method does not show a particular tendency towards under- or overestimation of the age variable. Outcomes of the sensitivity analysis showed that results on estimation are improved with a ration elicitation of the prior probabilities of age.
KW - Adult age estimation
KW - Bayesian approach
KW - Bayesian networks
KW - Forensic age estimation
KW - Pulp chamber volume narrowing
KW - Secondary dentine deposition
U2 - 10.1007/s00414-017-1733-0
DO - 10.1007/s00414-017-1733-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85033680670
VL - 132
SP - 1125
EP - 1138
JO - International Journal of Legal Medicine
JF - International Journal of Legal Medicine
SN - 0937-9827
IS - 4
ER -