Artificial Neural Network models (ANNs) in identifying Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (INPH) and Alzheimer Dementia (AD) patients: clinical psychological features and differential diagnosis

Abstract Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (INPH) patients present symptoms common to other diseases, as dementia (AD). However, while dementia is not reversible, INPH dementia can be treated through neurosurgery. The perception characteristics of a small sample of patients (n = 19) were observed through the Rorschach Inblok test. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) models allowed to analyze the correlations between patients’ cognitive functions and perception characteristics. The results obtained lead to interesting remarks about the independent traits in pattern of response to patients with INPH and AD. In performing the test, the latter concentrated more on the cards displayed and what they perceived, while other patients concentrated on reactions related to the image proposed. The Rorschach test can be a valid predictor tool to identify INPH patients, who could successfully be treated with neurosurgery. Hence, this methodology show its potentialities on differential diagnosis applied in clinical context.