An Artificial Neural Network Integrated Pipeline for Biomarker Discovery Using Alzheimer's Disease as a Case Study

• Main Authors: Dimitrios Zafeiris, Sergio Rutella, Graham Roy Ball
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2018-01-01
• Series: Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2001037017300843

The field of machine learning has allowed researchers to generate and analyse vast amounts of data using a wide variety of methodologies. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are some of the most commonly used statistical models and have been successful in biomarker discovery studies in multiple disease types. This review seeks to explore and evaluate an integrated ANN pipeline for biomarker discovery and validation in Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia worldwide with no proven cause and no available cure. The proposed pipeline consists of analysing public data with a categorical and continuous stepwise algorithm and further examination through network inference to predict gene interactions. This methodology can reliably generate novel markers and further examine known ones and can be used to guide future research in Alzheimer's disease. Keywords: Artificial neural network, Machine learning, Supervised learning, Network inference, Alzheimer's disease, Biomarker discovery