Evaluating combinations of diagnostic tests to discriminate different dementia types

Marie Bruun, Hanneke F.M. Rhodius-Meester, Juha Koikkalainen, Marta Baroni, Le Gjerum, Afina W. Lemstra, Frederik Barkhof, Anne M. Remes, Timo Urhemaa, Antti Tolonen, Daniel Rueckert, Mark van Gils, Kristian S. Frederiksen, Gunhild Waldemar, Philip Scheltens, Patrizia Mecocci, Hilkka Soininen, Jyrki Lötjönen, Steen G. Hasselbalch, Wiesje M. van der Flier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Introduction: We studied, using a data-driven approach, how different combinations of diagnostic tests contribute to the differential diagnosis of dementia. Methods: In this multicenter study, we included 356 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 87 frontotemporal dementia, 61 dementia with Lewy bodies, 38 vascular dementia, and 302 controls. We used a classifier to assess accuracy for individual performance and combinations of cognitive tests, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and automated magnetic resonance imaging features for pairwise differentiation between dementia types. Results: Cognitive tests had good performance in separating any type of dementia from controls. Cerebrospinal fluid optimally contributed to identifying Alzheimer's disease, whereas magnetic resonance imaging features aided in separating vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia. Combining diagnostic tests increased the accuracy, with balanced accuracies ranging from 78% to 97%. Discussion: Different diagnostic tests have their distinct roles in differential diagnostics of dementias. Our results indicate that combining different diagnostic tests may increase the accuracy further.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)509-518
Number of pages10
JournalAlzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring
Volume10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes
Publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

Author disclosures: M. Bruun, H.F.M.R.-M., M. Baroni, L.G., A.W.L., A.M.R., T.U., A.T., D.R., M.v.G., K.S.R., G.W., P.M., and S.G.H. report no disclosures. F.B. is supported by the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre. H.S. has served in advisory boards for AC Immune, MSD, and Orion Pharma. P.S. has served as a consultant for Wyeth-Elan, Genentech, Danone, and Novartis and received funding for travel from Pfizer, Elan, Janssen, and Danone Research. J.L. and J.K. are shareholders in Combinostics Oy that owns the following IPR related to the patent: (1) J. Koikkalainen and J. Lotjonen—A method for inferring the state of a system, US7,840,510 B2, PCT/FI2007/050277. (2) J. Lotjonen, J. Koikkalainen, and J. Mattila—State Inference in a heterogeneous system, PCT/FI2010/050545, FI20125177. W.M.v.d.F. performs contract research for Biogen. Research programs of W.M.v.d.F. have been funded by ZonMW, NWO, EU-FP7, Alzheimer Nederland, CardioVascular Onderzoek Nederland, Stichting Dioraphte, Gieskes-Strijbis fonds, Boehringer Ingelheim, Piramal Neuroimaging, Roche BV, Janssen Stellar, and Combinostics. All funding is paid to her institution. This project has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreements no 611005 (PredictND). For development of the PredictND tool, the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland Ltd has received funding from European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration under grant agreements 601055 (VPH-DARE@IT), 224328, and 611005. The PredictND consortium consisted of collaborates from the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, GE Healthcare Ltd, Imperial College London, Alzheimer Europe, Alzheimer Center–VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Danish Dementia Research Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, the Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics of the University of Perugia, “S. Maria della Misericordia” Hospital of Perugia, Italy, the Department of Neurology from the University of Eastern Finland. This project has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreements no 611005 (PredictND). For development of the PredictND tool, the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland Ltd has received funding from European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration under grant agreements 601055 (VPH-DARE@IT), 224328, and 611005. The PredictND consortium consisted of collaborates from the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, GE Healthcare Ltd, Imperial College London, Alzheimer Europe, Alzheimer Center–VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Danish Dementia Research Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, the Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics of the University of Perugia, “S. Maria della Misericordia” Hospital of Perugia, Italy, the Department of Neurology from the University of Eastern Finland.

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Biomarkers
  • Clinical decision support system
  • CSF
  • Dementia with Lewy bodies
  • Diagnostic test assessment
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Frontotemporal dementia
  • MRI
  • Vascular dementia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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