Title: Applied hybrid model in the neuropsychological diagnosis of the Alzheimer's disease: a decision making study case

Authors: Ana Karoline De Castro, Placido Rogerio Pinheiro, Mirian Caliope Dantas Pinheiro, Isabelle Tamanini

Addresses: Graduate Program in Applied Computer Sciences, University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Av. Washington Soares, 1321 – Bl J Sl 30, Fortaleza 60.811-905, Brazil. ' Graduate Program in Applied Computer Sciences, University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Av. Washington Soares, 1321 – Bl J Sl 30, Fortaleza 60.811-905, Brazil. ' Graduate Program in Applied Computer Sciences, University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Av. Washington Soares, 1321 – Bl J Sl 30, Fortaleza 60.811-905, Brazil. ' Graduate Program in Applied Computer Sciences, University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Av. Washington Soares, 1321 – Bl J Sl 30, Fortaleza 60.811-905, Brazil

Abstract: Dementias are syndromes described by a decline in memory and other neuropsychological changes especially occurring in the elderly and increasing exponentially in function of age. Due to this fact and to the therapeutical limitations in the most advanced stage of the disease, diagnosis of Alzheimer|s disease is extremely important and it can provide better life conditions to patients and their families. A hybrid model, combining influence diagrams and a multicriteria method, is presented in order to assist in the decision making about which questions would be more attractive to the definition of the diagnosis of the Alzheimer|s disease, considering the stages of clinical dementia rating (CDR). The modelling and evaluation processes were carried out through a battery of standardised assessments for the evaluation of cases with Alzheimer|s disease developed by Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer|s disease (CERAD).

Keywords: Alzheimer|s disease; multicriteria decision making; MCDM; Bayesian networks; influence diagrams; neuropsychological diagnosis; clinical dementia rating; hybrid modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSHC.2010.032692

International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing, 2010 Vol.1 No.3, pp.331 - 345

Published online: 12 Apr 2010 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article