Publications (4)0 Total impact
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Article: On the Implementation of HealthAgents: Agent Based Brain Tumour Diagnosis
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Article: On the Design of a Web-Based decision Support System for Brain Tumour Diagnosis using Distributed Agents
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ABSTRACT: This paper introduces HealthAgents, an EC-funded research project to improve the classification of brain tumours through multi-agent decision support over a distributed network of local databases or data marts. HealthAgents will not only develop new pattern recognition methods for a distributed classification and analysis of in vivo MRS and ex vivo/in vitro HRMAS and DNA data, but also define a method to assess the quality and usability of a new candidate local database containing a set of new cases, based on a compatibility score. -
Article: Agent-Based Distributed Decision Support System for Brain Tumour Diagnosis and Prognosis
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ABSTRACT: Brain tumours remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. Diagnosis using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is non-invasive, but only achieves 60-90% accuracy depending on the tumour type and grade. The current gold standard classification of brain tumours by biopsy and histopathological analysis involves invasive surgical procedure and incurs a risk. Nowadays the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours is typically based on clinical symptoms, radiological appearance and often a histopathological diagnosis of a biopsy. However, treatment response of histologically or radiologically-similar tumours can vary widely, particularly in children. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive technique for determining the tissue biochemical composition (metabolomic profile) of a tumour. Additionally, the genomic profile, determined using DNA microarrays, facilitates the classification of tumour grades and types not trivially distinguished by morphologic appearance. Thus, we propose the definition of a decision support system (DSS) which employs MRS and genomic profiles. This DSS will deploy an ad hoc agent-based architecture in order to negotiate a distributed diagnostic tool for brain tumours, implement data mining techniques, transfer clinical data and extract information. The distributed nature of our approach will help the users to observe local centre policies for sharing information whilst allowing them to benefit from the use of distributed data warehouse (d-DWH). Moreover, it will permit the design of local classifiers targeting a specific patient population. We argue that this new information for classifying tumours along with clinical data, should be securely and easy accessible in order to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of tumours. All data will be stored anonymously, and securely through a network of data marts based on all this information acquired and stored at centres throughout Europe. This network will grant bona-fide access to an organisation in return for its contribution of clinical data to a d-DWH/Decision Support System (d-DSS). This rest of this paper is structured as follows. First, we provide some background on the underlying technologies for this project: brain tumour detection and agent technology. Then we provide the architectural specification. Finally, we conclude with our future work. -
Article: HealthAgents: Distributed Multi-Agent Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Prognosis
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ABSTRACT: We present an agent-based distributed decision support system for the diagnosis and prognosis of brain tumors developed by the HEALTHAGENTS project. HEALTHAGENTS is a European Union funded research project, which aims to enhance the classification of brain tumours using such a decision support system based on intelligent agents to securely connect a network of clinical centres. The HEALTHAGENTS system is implementing novel pattern recognition discrimination methods, in order to analyse in vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and ex vivo/in vitro High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (HR-MAS) and DNA micro-array data. HEALTHAGENTS intends not only to apply forefront agent technology to the biomedical field, but also develop the HEALTHAGENTS network, a globally distributed information and knowledge repository for brain tumour diagnosis and prognosis.
