Electroencephalography based systems and methods for selecting therapies and predicting outcomes
A method and system for utilizing neurophysiologic information obtained by techniques such as quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), electrode recordings, MRI in appropriately matching patients with therapeutic entities is disclosed. The present invention enables utilization of neurophysiologic information, notwithstanding its weak correlation with extant diagnostic schemes for mental disorders, for safer and expeditious treatment for mental disorders, discovering new applications for therapeutic entities, improved testing of candidate therapeutic entities, inferring the presence or absence of a desirable response to a treatment, and deducing the mode of action of one or more therapeutic entities. In particular, methods for effectively comparing neurophysiologic information relative to a reference set are disclosed along with database-based tools for deducing therapeutic entity actions on particular patients such that these tools are readily accessible to remote users.
1. A method of screening a therapeutic agent for therapeutic effectiveness, comprising:
a. providing:
i) at least one patient, wherein said patient has a first disorder associated with a first set of electroencephalographic information;
ii) a plurality of reference patients comprising at least one second disorder associated with a second set of electroencephalographic information;
iii) a therapeutic agent, wherein said agent has no known therapeutic effectiveness for said at least one second disorder; and
b. treating said patient with said agent, wherein said agent is therapeutically effective for said first disorder;
c. identifying, using a computer a similarity between said first set of electroencephalographic information and said second set of electroencephalographic information; and
d. indicating said agent as having therapeutic effectiveness for said at least one second disorder based upon said similarity in said reference patients.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before step (b) obtaining said first set of electroencephalographic information from said patient.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before step (b) obtaining said second set of electroencephalographic information from said reference patients.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second sets of electroencephalographic information comprise at least one multivariate measurement.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said at least one multivariate measurement further comprises at least one univariate measurement.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said similarity comprises a responsivity profile.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said similarity comprises a cluster.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second disorder is the same as said first disorder.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second disorder is different than said first disorder.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying comprises cluster analysis.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first disorder comprises a behaviorally diagnosed disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein said second disorder comprises a behaviorally diagnosed disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification.
13. The method of claim 1 , where said agent is selected from the group consisting of alprazolam, amantadine, amitriptyline, atenolol, bethanechol, bupropion, buspirone, carbamazepine, chlorpromazine, chlordiazepoxide, citalopram, clomipramine, clonidine, clonazepam, clozapine, cyproheptadine, dextroamphetamine, dexamethasone, divalproex, deprenyl, desipramine, dexamethasone, dextroamphetamine, diazepam, disulfram, divalproex, doxepin, ethchlorvynol, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, felbamate, fluphenazine, gabapentin, haloperidol, imipramine, isocarboxazid, lamotrigine, levothyroxine, liothyronine, lithium carbonate, lithium citrate, lorazepam, loxapine, maprotiline, meprobamate, mesoridazine, methamphetamine, methylphenidate, midazolam, meprobamate, mirtazapine, molindone, moclobemide, molindone, naltrexone, phenelzine, nefazodone, nortriptyline, olanzapine, oxazepam, paroxetine, pemoline, perphenazine, phenelzine, pimozide, pindolol, prazepam, propranolol, protriptyline, quetiapine, reboxetine, risperidone, selegiline, sertraline, sertindole, trifluoperazine, trimipramine, temazepam, thioridazine, topiramate, tranylcypromine, trazodone, triazolam, trihexyphenidyl, trimipramine, valproic acid, venlafaxine, and any combination thereof.