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@ARTICLE{Hamdan:282315,
author = {Hamdan, Alzahra and Traschütz, Andreas and Beichert, Lukas
and Chen, Xiaomei and Gagnon, Cynthia and van de Warrenburg,
Bart P. and Santorelli, Filippo M. and Başak, Nazlı and
Coarelli, Giulia and Horvath, Rita and Klebe, Stephan and
Schüle, Rebecca and Hooker, Andrew C. and Synofzik, Matthis
and Karlsson, Mats O.},
title = {{I}ntegrated {M}odeling of {D}igital‐{M}otor and
{C}linician‐{R}eported {O}utcomes {U}sing {I}tem
{R}esponse {T}heory: {T}owards {P}owerful {T}rials for
{R}are {N}eurological {D}iseases},
journal = {CPT: pharmacometrics $\&$ systems pharmacology},
volume = {14},
number = {11},
issn = {2163-8306},
address = {London},
publisher = {Nature Publ. Group},
reportid = {DZNE-2025-01285},
pages = {1857 - 1868},
year = {2025},
abstract = {Robust and highly sensitive outcomes are crucial for small
trials in rare diseases. Combining different outcome types
might improve sensitivity to identify disease severity and
progression, yet innovative methodologies are scarce. Here
we develop an Item Response Theory framework that allows
integrated modeling of both continuous and categorical
outcomes (ccIRT). With degenerative ataxias, a group of rare
neurological coordination diseases, as a showcase, we
developed a ccIRT model integrating two ataxia outcome
types: a clinician-reported outcome (Scale for the
Assessment and Rating of Ataxia; SARA; categorical data) and
digital-motor outcomes for gait and limb coordination
(continuous data). The ccIRT model leveraged data from 331
assessments from a natural history study for spastic
ataxias. The model describes SARA items and digital-motor
outcomes data as functions of a common underlying ataxia
severity construct, evaluating 9 gait and 17 limb
coordination digital-motor measures for their ability to add
to SARA in estimating individual ataxia severity levels.
Based on our proposed workflow for assessing digital-motor
outcomes in ccIRT models, the final model selected three
digital gait and three limb coordination measures, reducing
average uncertainty in ataxia severity estimates by $49\%$
$(10\%$ SD) compared to the SARA-only IRT model. Trial
simulations showed a $49\%$ and $61\%$ reduction in sample
sizes needed to detect disease-modifying effects in two
genotypes. Overall, our ccIRT framework for combining
multiple outcome domains, even of different variable types,
facilitates a more precise estimation of disease severity
and a higher power, which is particularly relevant for rare
diseases with inherently small and short trials. Trial
Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04297891.},
keywords = {Item Response Theory (Other) / clinical outcome assessments
(Other) / digital‐motor outcomes (Other) / genetic ataxias
(Other) / rare neurological diseases (Other)},
cin = {AG Gasser},
ddc = {610},
cid = {I:(DE-2719)1210000},
pnm = {353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-353},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
doi = {10.1002/psp4.70081},
url = {https://pub.dzne.de/record/282315},
}