A Novel Personalized Random Forest Algorithm for Clinical Outcome Prediction.

Machine learning algorithms that derive predictive models are useful in predicting patient outcomes under uncertainty. These are often "population" algorithms which optimize a static model to predict well on average for individuals in the population; however, population models may predict poorly for individuals that differ from the average. Personalized machine learning algorithms seek to optimize predictive performance for every patient by tailoring a patient-specific model to each individual.

Patient-Specific Modeling with Personalized Decision Paths.

Predictive models can be useful in predicting patient outcomes under uncertainty. Many algorithms employ "population" methods, which optimize a single model to perform well on average over an entire population, but the model may perform poorly on some patients. Personalized methods optimize predictive performance for each patient by tailoring the model to the individual.

Abdominal Pain, the Adolescent and Altered Brain Structure and Function.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder of unknown etiology. Although relatively common in children, how this condition affects brain structure and function in a pediatric population remains unclear. Here, we investigate brain changes in adolescents with IBS and healthy controls.

The migraine brain in transition: girls vs boys.

The prevalence of migraine has an exponential trajectory that is most obvious in young females between puberty and early adulthood. Adult females are affected twice as much as males. During development, hormonal changes may act on predetermined brain circuits, increasing the probability of migraine.

Pediatric migraine prescription patterns at a large academic hospital.

Background: Here we report the prescription patterns by drug type, age, and sex of patients at a large academic pediatric hospital. Because there are few guidelines based on outcome studies in pediatric migraine, physician treatment approaches in children vary.

Methods: Using the i2b2 query tool, we determined that over an approximately 4 year period, 4839 patients between the ages of 2 and 17 years were observed at Boston Children's Hospital for migraine with or without aura, 59% women and 41% men.

Altered hypothalamic functional connectivity with autonomic circuits and the locus coeruleus in migraine.

The hypothalamus has been implicated in migraine based on the manifestation of autonomic symptoms with the disease, as well as neuroimaging evidence of hypothalamic activation during attacks. Our objective was to determine functional connectivity (FC) changes between the hypothalamus and the rest of the brain in migraine patients vs. control subjects.