Use of artificial networks in clinical trials: a pilot study to predict responsiveness to donepezil in Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of artificial neural networks compared with discriminant analysis in classifying positive and negative response to the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil in a group of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.


METHODS
Convenience sample.


METHODS
Patients with mild to moderate AD consecutively admitted to a geriatric day hospital and treated with donepezil 5 mg/day.


METHODS
Sixty-one older patients of both sexes with AD.


METHODS
Accuracy in detecting subjects sensitive (responders) or not (nonresponders) to 3-month therapy with ANNs. The criterion standard for evaluation of efficacy was the scores of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive portion and Clinician's Interview Based Impression of Change-plus scales.


RESULTS
ANNs were more effective in discriminating between responders and nonresponders than other advanced statistical methods, particularly linear discriminant analysis. The total accuracy in predicting the outcome was 92.59%.


CONCLUSIONS
ANNs appear to be a useful tool in detecting patient responsiveness to pharmacological treatment in AD.
Mecocci
Patrizia
P
Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy. mecocci@unipg.it
Grossi
Enzo
E
Buscema
Massimo
M
Intraligi
Marco
M
Savarè
Rita
R
Rinaldi
Patrizia
P
Cherubini
Antonio
A
Senin
Umberto
U
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D000077265:Donepezil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil