Augmenting Blood Test and Periodontal Examination Data with Generative Adversarial Networks for Enhanced Dementia Risk Prediction

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of data augmentation to improve dementia risk prediction using deep neural networks (DNNs). Previous research has shown that basic blood test data were cost-effective and crucial in predicting cognitive function, as indicated by mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores. However, creating models that can accommodate various conditions is a significant challenge due to constraints related to blood test and MMSE results, such as high costs, limited sample size, and missing data from specific tests not conducted in certain facilities. Periodontal examinations have also emerged as a cost-effective tool for mass screening. To address these issues, this study explores the use of generative adversarial networks (GANs) for generating synthesised data from blood test and periodontal examination results. We used DNNs with four hidden layers to compare prediction accuracy between real and GAN-synthesised data from 108 participants at Nihon University Itabashi Hospital. The GAN-synthesised DNNs achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.91 ± 0.30 compared to 2.04 ± 0.37 for real data, indicating improved accuracy with synthesised data. Importantly, synthesised data showcased enhanced robustness against missing important variables including age information, and better managed data imbalances. Considering the difficulties in amassing extensive medical data, the augmentation approach is promising in refining dementia risk prediction.

Keywords: Cognitive assessment; Cognitive function; Cognitive screening; Deep neural networks (DNNs); Mild cognitive impairment (MCI); Mini-mental state examination (MMSE).