Evaluation of ComBat harmonization for reducing across-tracer biases in regional amyloid PET analyses.

Background: Differences in amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer pharmacokinetics and binding properties lead to discrepancies in amyloid-ß uptake estimates. Harmonization of tracer-specific biases is crucial for optimal performance of downstream tasks. Here, we investigated the efficacy of ComBat, a data-driven harmonization model, for reducing tracer-specific biases in regional amyloid PET measurements from [18F]-florbetapir (FBP) and [11C]-Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB). Methods: One-hundred-thirteen head-to-head FBP-PiB scan pairs, scanned from the same subject within ninety days, were selected from the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies 3 (OASIS-3) dataset. The Centiloid scale, ComBat with no covariates, ComBat with biological covariates, and GAM-ComBat with biological covariates were used to harmonize both global and regional amyloid standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and mean standardized absolute error (MsAE) were computed to measure the absolute agreement between tracers. Additionally, longitudinal amyloid SUVRs from an anti-amyloid drug trial were simulated using linear mixed effects modeling. Differences in rates-of-change between simulated treatment and placebo groups were tested, and change in statistical power/Type-I error after harmonization was quantified. Results: In the head-to-head tracer comparison, the best ICC and MsAE were achieved after harmonizing with ComBat with no covariates for the global summary SUVR. ComBat with no covariates also performed the best in harmonizing regional SUVRs. In the clinical trial simulation, harmonization with both Centiloid and ComBat increased statistical power of detecting true rate-of-change differences between groups and decreased false discovery rate in the absence of a treatment effect. The greatest benefit of harmonization was observed when groups exhibited differing FPB-to-PiB proportions. Conclusions: ComBat outperformed the Centiloid scale in harmonizing both global and regional amyloid estimates. Additionally, ComBat improved the detection of rate-of-change differences between clinical trial groups. Our findings suggest that ComBat is a viable alternative to Centiloid for harmonizing regional amyloid PET analyses.

Data-driven decomposition and staging of flortaucipir uptake in Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Previous approaches pursuing in vivo staging of tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have typically relied on neuropathologically defined criteria. In using predefined systems, these studies may miss spatial deposition patterns which are informative of disease progression. METHODS: We selected discovery (n = 418) and replication (n = 132) cohorts with flortaucipir imaging. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) was applied to learn tau covariance patterns and develop a tau staging system. Flortaucipir components were also validated by comparison with amyloid burden, gray matter loss, and the expression of AD-related genes. RESULTS: We found eight flortaucipir covariance patterns which were reproducible and overlapped with relevant gene expression maps. Tau stages were associated with AD severity as indexed by dementia status and neuropsychological performance. Comparisons of flortaucipir uptake with amyloid and atrophy also supported our model of tau progression. DISCUSSION: Data-driven decomposition of flortaucipir uptake provides a novel framework for tau staging which complements existing systems. HIGHLIGHTS: NMF reveals patterns of tau deposition in AD. Data-driven staging of flortaucipir tracks AD severity. Learned flortaucipir patterns overlap with AD-related gene expression.

Analysing heterogeneity in Alzheimer's Disease using multimodal normative modelling on ATN biomarkers.

Background and Objectives: Previous approaches pursuing normative modelling for analyzing heterogeneity in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) have relied on a single neuroimaging modality. However, AD is a multi-faceted disorder, with each modality providing unique and complementary info about AD. In this study, we used a deep-learning based multimodal normative model to assess the heterogeneity in regional brain patterns for ATN (amyloid-tau-neurodegeneration) biomarkers. Methods: We selected discovery (n = 665) and replication (n = 430) cohorts with simultaneous availability of ATN biomarkers: Florbetapir amyloid, Flortaucipir tau and T1-weighted MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) imaging. A multimodal variational autoencoder (conditioned on age and sex) was used as a normative model to learn the multimodal regional brain patterns of a cognitively unimpaired (CU) control group. The trained model was applied on individuals on the ADS (AD Spectrum) to estimate their deviations (Z-scores) from the normative distribution, resulting in a Z-score regional deviation map per ADS individual per modality. Regions with Z-scores < -1.96 for MRI and Z-scores > 1.96 for amyloid and tau were labelled as outliers. Hamming distance was used to quantify the dissimilarity between individual based on their outlier deviations across each modality. We also calculated a disease severity index (DSI) for each ADS individual which was estimated by averaging the deviations across all outlier regions corresponding to each modality. Results: ADS individuals with moderate or severe dementia showed higher proportion of regional outliers for each modality as well as more dissimilarity in modality-specific regional outlier patterns compared to ADS individuals with early or mild dementia. DSI was associated with the progressive stages of dementia, (ii) showed significant associations with neuropsychological composite scores and (iii) related to the longitudinal risk of CDR progression. Findings were reproducible in both discovery and replication cohorts. Discussion: Our is the first study to examine the heterogeneity in AD through the lens of multiple neuroimaging modalities (ATN), based on distinct or overlapping patterns of regional outlier deviations. Regional MRI and tau outliers were more heterogenous than regional amyloid outliers. DSI has the potential to be an individual patient metric of neurodegeneration that can help in clinical decision making and monitoring patient response for anti-amyloid treatments.

Identifying sources of human interictal discharges with travelling wave and white matter propagation.

Interictal epileptiform discharges have been shown to propagate from focal epileptogenic sources as travelling waves or through more rapid white matter conduction. We hypothesize that both modes of propagation are necessary to explain interictal discharge timing delays. We propose a method that, for the first time, incorporates both propagation modes to identify unique potential sources of interictal activity. We retrospectively analysed 38 focal epilepsy patients who underwent intracranial EEG recordings and diffusion-weighted imaging for epilepsy surgery evaluation. Interictal discharges were detected and localized to the most likely source based on relative delays in time of arrival across electrodes, incorporating travelling waves and white matter propagation. We assessed the influence of white matter propagation on distance of spread, timing and clinical interpretation of interictal activity. To evaluate accuracy, we compared our source localization results to earliest spiking regions to predict seizure outcomes. White matter propagation helps to explain the timing delays observed in interictal discharge sequences, underlying rapid and distant propagation. Sources identified based on differences in time of receipt of interictal discharges are often distinct from the leading electrode location. Receipt of activity propagating rapidly via white matter can occur earlier than more local activity propagating via slower cortical travelling waves. In our cohort, our source localization approach was more accurate in predicting seizure outcomes than the leading electrode location. Inclusion of white matter in addition to travelling wave propagation in our model of discharge spread did not improve overall accuracy but allowed for identification of unique and at times distant potential sources of activity, particularly in patients with persistent postoperative seizures. Since distant white matter propagation can occur more rapidly than local travelling wave propagation, combined modes of propagation within an interictal discharge sequence can decouple the commonly assumed relationship between spike timing and distance from the source. Our findings thus highlight the clinical importance of recognizing the presence of dual modes of propagation during interictal discharges, as this may be a cause of clinical mislocalization.

Next generation pathways into biomedical informatics: lessons from 10 years of the Vanderbilt Biomedical Informatics Summer Internship Program.

OBJECTIVES: To examine roles for summer internship programs in expanding pathways into biomedical informatics, based on 10 years of the Vanderbilt Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) Summer Research Internship Program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Vanderbilt DBMI's internship program is a research-intensive paid 8-10 week program for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The program is grounded in a "Windows, Mirrors, and Open Doors" educational framework, and is guided by an evolving set of design principles, including providing meaningful research experiences, applying a multi-factor approach to diversity, and helping interns build peer connections. RESULTS: Over 10 years, 90 individuals have participated in the internship program, with nine students participating for more than one summer. Of 90 participants, 38 were women and 52 were men. Participants represented a range of racial/ethnic groups. A total of 39 faculty members have served as primary mentor for one or more interns. Five key lessons emerged from our program experience: Festina Lente ("Make haste slowly"), The Power of Community, Learning by Doing, Thoughtful Partnerships Lead to Innovation, and The Whole is More Than the Sum of Its Parts. DISCUSSION: Based on our experience, we suggest that internship programs should become a core element of the biomedical informatics educational ecosystem. Continued development and growth of this important educational outreach approach requires stable funding sources and building connections between programs to share best practices. CONCLUSION: Internship programs can play a substantial role in the biomedical informatics educational ecosystem, helping introduce individuals to the field earlier in their educational trajectories.