DETERMINATION OF NEUROPSYCHIATRIC THERAPY MECHANISMS OF ACTION

• US 20100010363A1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraemer, James R., Angell, Robert Lee, Friedlander, Robert R., Fueyo, Joanna Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 9,198,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/501 for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/566 involving communication between diagnostic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10104 Positron emission tomography [PET]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30016 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product of determining mechanisms of action for therapies. A first set of brain scans for each subject in a plurality of subjects generated at a first time period and a second set of brain scans for each subject generated at a second time period are received. Each subject is diagnosed with a given condition and received a given therapy. A set of changes in the set of brain scans is identified for the each subject based on a comparison of a first set of regions of interest in the first set of scans for each subject with a second set of regions of interest in the second set of scans for each subject. A set of typical changes attributable to the given therapy is identified. A mechanism of action for the given therapy is generated based on the set of typical changes.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of determining mechanisms of action for therapies, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a first set of brain scans for each subject in a plurality of subjects generated at a first time period and a second set of brain scans for the each subject in the plurality of subjects generated at a second time period, and wherein the each subject in the plurality of subjects is diagnosed with a given condition, and wherein a given therapy is received by the each subject;

automatically searching a set of electronic medical literature sources for portions of medical literature describing the given therapy;

automatically identifying a first set of regions of interest in the first set of brain scans for the each subject and a second set of regions of interest in the second set of brain scans for the each subject;

identifying a set of changes in the set of brain scans for the each subject based on a comparison of the first set of regions of interest for the each subject with the second set of regions of interest for the each subject, wherein the set of changes comprises indicators of change occurring after the each subject began receiving the given therapy;

analyzing the set of changes for the each subject with the portions of the medical literature describing the given therapy to identify a set of typical changes attributable to the given therapy; and

generating a mechanism of action for the given therapy based on the set of typical changes.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing additional subject data for the each subject with the set of typical changes and portions of the medical literature associated with the given therapy to generate the mechanism of action, wherein the mechanism of action comprises the set of typical changes in the set of brain scans of the plurality of subjects and changes in clinical test results occurring over time, wherein the additional subject data comprises at least one of clinical data, subject medical history, subject data, and cognitive data.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

searching a set of electronic medical literature sources for medical literature relevant to the given condition, the given therapy, and the set of changes occurring over time to form the portions of the medical literature; and

analyzing the portions of the medical literature with the set of typical changes occurring over time to derive the mechanism of action for the given therapy, wherein the mechanism of action comprises a set of links to the portions of the medical literature associated with the given therapy and each change in the set of typical changes.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of subjects comprises subjects from various demographic groups, and wherein the each subject in the plurality of subjects receive the given therapy after the first set of scans were taken at the first time and before the second set of scans were taken at the second time.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a set of brain scans for a set of healthy subjects in various demographic groups to form the baseline normal scans; and

analyzing the baseline normal scans to identify a normal appearance of areas in normal brain scans, wherein a normal brain scan is a scan that does not show indications of disease or abnormalities in the areas in the normal brain scans; and

comparing the set of changes for the each subject with the baseline normal scans to identify the drug mechanism of action.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying other therapies being applied to a given subject in the plurality of subjects;

identifying changes in the set of scans for the given subject that are attributable to the other therapies to form uncorrelated changes; and

eliminating the uncorrelated changes from the set of typical changes.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the set of scans comprises at least one of a positron emission tomography scan and a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the subject.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying other medical conditions associated with a given subject in the plurality of subjects;

identifying changes in the set of scans for the given subject that are attributable to the other medical conditions to form uncorrelated changes; and

removing the uncorrelated changes from the set of typical changes.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the given therapy is a pharmacotherapy and wherein the mechanism of action is a drug mechanism of action.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the given therapy is selected from a group consisting of a mechanical therapy and talk therapy.

11. A computer program product for determining mechanisms of action for therapies, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to receive a first set of brain scans for each subject in a plurality of subjects generated at a first time period and a second set of brain scans for the each subject in the plurality of subjects generated at a second time period, and wherein the each subject in the plurality of subjects is diagnosed with a given condition, and wherein the each subject received a given therapy;

computer usable program code configured to automatically search a set of electronic medical literature sources for portions of medical literature describing the given therapy;

computer usable program code configured to automatically select a first set of regions of interest in the first set of bran scans for the each subject and a second set of regions of interest in the second set of brain scans for the each subject;

computer usable program code configured to identify a set of changes in the set of brain scans for the each subject based on a comparison of the first set of regions of interest for each subject with the second set of regions of interest for each subject, wherein the set of changes comprises indicators of change occurring after the each subject began receiving the given therapy;

computer usable program code configured to analyze the set of changes for each subject with the portions of the medical literature describing the given therapy to identify a set of typical changes attributable to the given therapy; and

computer usable program code configured to generate a mechanism of action for the given therapy based on the set of typical changes.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to analyze additional subject data for the each subject with the set of typical changes and portions of the medical literature associated with the given therapy to generate the mechanism of action, wherein the mechanism of action comprises the set of typical changes in the set of brain scans of the plurality of subjects and changes in clinical test results occurring over time, wherein the additional subject data comprises at least one of clinical data, subject medical history, subject data, and cognitive data.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to search a set of electronic medical literature sources for the medical literature relevant to the given condition, the given therapy, and the set of changes occurring over time to form the portions of the medical literature; and

computer usable program code configured to analyze the portions of the medical literature with the set of typical changes occurring over time to derive the mechanism of action for the given therapy, wherein the mechanism of action comprises a set of links to the portions of the medical literature associated with the given therapy and each change in the set of typical changes.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the plurality of subjects comprises subjects from various demographic groups, and wherein the each subject in the plurality of subjects receives the given therapy after the first set of scans were taken at the first time and before the second set of scans were taken at the second time.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive a set of brain scans for a set of healthy subjects in various demographic groups to form the baseline normal scans; and

computer usable program code configured to analyze the baseline normal scans to identify a normal appearance of areas in normal brain scans, wherein a normal brain scan is a scan that does not show indications of disease or abnormalities in the areas in the normal brain scans; and

computer usable program code configured to compare the set of changes for the each subject with the baseline normal scans to identify the drug mechanism of action.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to identify other therapies being applied to a given subject in the plurality of subjects;

computer usable program code configured to identify changes in the set of scans for the given subject that are attributable to the other therapies to form uncorrelated changes; and

computer usable program code configured to eliminate the uncorrelated changes from the set of typical changes.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to identify other medical conditions associated with a given subject in the plurality of subjects;

computer usable program code configured to identify changes in the set of scans for the given subject that are attributable to the other medical conditions to form uncorrelated changes; and

computer usable program code configured to remove the uncorrelated changes from the set of typical changes.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the given therapy is selected from a group consisting of a pharmacotherapy, mechanical therapy, and talk therapy.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive a first set of brain scans for each subject in a plurality of subjects generated at a first time period and a second set of brain scans for the each subject in the plurality of subjects generated at a second time period, and wherein the each subject in the plurality of subjects is diagnosed with a given condition, and wherein the each subject received a given therapy;

automatically search a set of electronic medical literature sources for portions of medical literature describing the given therapy;

analyze the plurality of brain scans to identify a first set of regions of interest in the first set of bran scans for the each subject and a second set of regions of interest in the second set of brain scans for the each subject;

identify a set of changes in the set of brain scans for the each subject based on a comparison of the first set of regions of interest for each subject with the second set of regions of interest for each subject, wherein the set of changes comprises indicators of change occurring after the each subject began receiving the given therapy;

analyze the set of changes for each subject with the portions of the medical literature describing the given therapy to identify a set of typical changes attributable to the given therapy; and

generate a mechanism of action for the given therapy based on the set of typical changes.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to analyze additional subject data for the each subject with the set of typical changes and portions of the medical literature associated with the given therapy to generate the mechanism of action, wherein the mechanism of action comprises the set of typical changes in the set of brain scans of the plurality of subjects and changes in clinical test results occurring over time, wherein the additional subject data comprises at least one of clinical data, subject medical history, subject data, and cognitive data.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to identify other therapies being applied to a given subject in the plurality of subjects;

identify changes in the set of scans for the given subject that are attributable to the other therapies to form uncorrelated changes; and

eliminate the uncorrelated changes from the set of typical changes.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to identify other medical conditions associated with a given subject in the plurality of subjects;

identify changes in the set of scans for the given subject that are attributable to the other medical conditions to form uncorrelated changes; and

remove the uncorrelated changes from the set of typical changes.

23. A data processing system for determining therapy mechanisms of action comprising:

a set of electronic medical literature sources, wherein the set of medical literature sources comprises medical literature;

a neuroimage mapping manager, wherein the neuroimage mapping manager automatically retrieves portions of the medical literature describing a given therapy from the set of electronic medical literature sources;

analyzes a plurality of brain scans for a plurality of subjects receiving the given therapy to identify a first set of regions of interest in a first set of brain scans for the each subject and a second set of regions of interest in a second set of brain scans for the each subject and identifies a set of changes in the set of brain scans for the each subject based on a comparison of the first set of regions of interest for each subject with the second set of regions of interest for each subject, wherein the first set of brain scans for each subject in the plurality of subjects is generated at a first time period and the second set of brain scans for the each subject in the plurality of subjects is generated at a second time period, and wherein the each subject in the plurality of subjects is diagnosed with a given condition, and wherein a given therapy is being administered to the each subject in the plurality of subjects, and wherein the set of changes are changes occurring after the each subject began receiving the given therapy;

a therapy mechanism generator, wherein the therapy mechanism generator analyzes the set of changes for each subject with the portions of the medical literature describing the given therapy to identify a set of typical changes attributable to the given therapy; and

generates a mechanism of action for the given therapy based on the set of typical changes.

24. The data processing system of claim 23 further comprising:

a data storage device, wherein the data storage device stores additional subject data for each subject in the plurality of subjects, and wherein the therapy mechanism generator analyzes the additional subject data for each subject with the set of typical changes and portions of the medical literature associated with the given therapy to generate the mechanism of action, wherein the mechanism of action comprises the set of typical changes in the set of brain scans of the plurality of subjects and changes in clinical test results occurring over time, and wherein the additional subject data comprises at least one of clinical data, subject medical history, subject data, and cognitive data.

25. The data processing system of claim 23 wherein the given therapy is a pharmacotherapy and wherein the mechanism of action is a drug mechanism of action.