title: Automated Differential Diagnosis of Early Parkinsonism Using Metabolic Brain Networks: A Validation Study.
abstract: The differentiation of idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), the most common atypical parkinsonian look-alike syndromes (APS), can be clinically challenging. In these disorders, diagnostic inaccuracy is more frequent early in the clinical course when signs and symptoms are mild. Diagnostic inaccuracy may be particularly relevant in trials of potential disease-modifying agents, which typically involve participants with early clinical manifestations. In an initial study, we developed a probabilistic algorithm to classify subjects with clinical parkinsonism but uncertain diagnosis based on the expression of metabolic covariance patterns for IPD, MSA, and PSP. Classifications based on this algorithm agreed closely with final clinical diagnosis. Nonetheless, blinded prospective validation is required before routine use of the algorithm can be considered.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used metabolic imaging to study an independent cohort of 129 parkinsonian subjects with uncertain diagnosis; 77 (60%) had symptoms for 2 y or less at the time of imaging. After imaging, subjects were followed by blinded movement disorders specialists for an average of 2.2 y before final diagnosis was made. When the algorithm was applied to the individual scan data, the probabilities of IPD, MSA, and PSP were computed and used to classify each of the subjects. The resulting image-based classifications were then compared with the final clinical diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IPD subjects were distinguished from APS with 94% specificity and 96% positive predictive value (PPV) using the original 2-level logistic classification algorithm. The algorithm achieved 90% specificity and 85% PPV for MSA and 94% specificity and 94% PPV for PSP. The diagnostic accuracy was similarly high (specificity and PPV > 90%) for parkinsonian subjects with short symptom duration. In addition, 25 subjects were classified as level I indeterminate parkinsonism and 4 more subjects as level II indeterminate APS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Automated pattern-based image classification can improve the diagnostic accuracy in patients with parkinsonism, even at early disease stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; and.
authors.forename: Madhavi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York.
authors.forename: Chris C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feigin
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazem
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dhawan
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York david1@nshs.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eidelberg
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism
keywords: Parkinson disease; automated classification algorithm; brain networks; differential diagnosis; glucose metabolism