Predicting Alzheimer's Disease Using a New Classification System Based on Objective Memory Impairment Assessment

Abstract

Stages of Objective Memory Impairment (SOMI) has been recently proposed by Grober et al. (2018) as a new classification system that provides a clinical vocabulary for describing the type and severity of episodic memory impairment in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of SOMI using a joint model for the time to AD and SOMI that is assessed longitudinally. In particular, we estimate the sensitivity and specificity of SOMI at 3, 5, or 7 years from the baseline assessment for each subject using all subsequent assessments. Our method was applied to the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the corresponding area under it (AUC) show that SOMI has potential for predicting incident Alzheimer disease. Years of education significantly improved prediction compared to SOMI alone.

Qi Qi, Ph.D.

Statistical Scientist

My research interests include Survival Analysis, Bayesian Methods, Longitudinal Data Analysis, Joint Modeling, Stochastic Models, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Statistical Computing.