Quantitative longitudinal predictions of Alzheimer's disease by multi-modal predictive learning

BackgroundQuantitatively predicting the progression of Alzheimers disease (AD) in an individual on a continuous scale, such as AD assessment scale-cognitive (ADAS-cog) scores, is informative for a personalized approach as opposed to qualitatively classifying the individual into a broad disease category. We hypothesize that multi-modal data and predictive learning models can be employed for longitudinally predicting ADAS-cog scores. MethodsMultivariate regression techniques were employed to model baseline multi-modal data (demographics, neuroimaging, and cerebrospinal fluid based markers, and genetic factors) and future ADAS-cog scores. Prediction models were subjected to repeated cross-validation and the resulting mean absolute error and cross-validated correlation of the model assessed. ResultsPrediction models on multi-modal data outperformed single modal data up to 36 months. Incorporating baseline ADAS-cog scores to prediction models marginally improved predictive performance. ConclusionsFuture ADAS-cog scores were successfully estimated via predictive learning aiding clinicians in identifying those at greater risk of decline and apply interventions at an earlier disease stage and inform likely future disease progression in individuals enrolled in AD clinical trials.