Medical and health informatics
Subject directors: Dr. Ferenc Bari (DSc), coordinators: Dr. Zoltán Juhász (PhD), Dr. István Vassányi (PhD)
Exam material: 6 topics selected by the examinee in agreement with the examiner
Topics
1. Public health and health informatics knowledge: Socio-economic determinants of health status. Lifestyle as a health determinant. Public health situation in Hungary. Prevention strategies. Basics of medical knowledge representation. Fundamentals of Health Economics. Methods of obtaining health information.2. Biological bases of bioelectrical phenomena: Cell, neuron membrane structure. Transmembrane processes. Ion channels, biology of signal transmission. Synapse structure, varieties, function. Ion balance, action potential, mechanism of nerve propagation, neuronal networks. Methods of experimental studies.
3. Measurement and processing of biomedical signals: Circuit and software methods of noise reduction. Averaging signal segments. Average value estimation for continuous and discrete signals. Auto-, cross-correlation, covariance functions. Power density spectra, cross-spectral density, coherence functions. Application for measuring EEG and ECG potentials. Wave pattern recognition.
4. Frequency-domain representations: Fundamental theories. Fourier transform, univariate and multivariate cases, short-time Fourier transform, time-frequency event-dependent EEG representations, wavelet transformations (Gabor, Morlet, etc. wavelets).
5. Processing of multichannel EEG and ECG measurements: Application of independent component analysis (ICA) for ECG and EEG potential mapping. PCA (principal component analysis), data compression KL (Karhunen-Loeve) delineation applications. Concept and methods of functional connectivity analysis (Granger, Directed Transfer Function) in case of EEG potential maps.
6. Modeling of bioelectrical sources at cellular and organ level: Anatomy of the sources of the heart and brain, substitutes at the organ level. Modeling of sources from the point of view of body surface space, single and double layer models, Green's theorem, multipolar delineation. Experimental methods of validation, using body surface and intramural electrode measurements.
7. Bioelectric imaging: Calculation of body surface spaces by boundary element method in homogeneous and domain-inhomogeneous volumetric conductors. Limitations of cardiology and brain scanning: bioelectrical imaging with body surface potential mapping and anatomical knowledge. Solving forward and inverse problems, examining the clarity of solutions.
8. Informatics methods of anatomical and functional imaging: Measurement methods and systems, image reconstruction based on algebraic and Radon transformations, reduction of calculation requirements based on the back-projection principle. NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) imaging measurement and image reconstruction methods, contrast enhancement methods, functional tests, BOLD fMRI.
9. Quasi-real-time EEG and ECG map processing: Methods of modern image processing calculations (interpolation, Laplace map calculations) using programmable graphics cards.
10. Statistical risk assessment methods: Relative risk estimates for two independent groups. Case-control tests. Logistic regression models. Survival studies, Kaplan-Meier type estimates.
11. Data mining in population-level studies: Data mining as a new opportunity to reveal hidden connections in medical and biological research and care management.
12. Computer medical decision support: Bayesian type decisions for two- and multi-class cases. Characterization of first- and second-kind decision errors. The concept of likelihood quotient. Method of nearest neighbor(s). Linear discriminant analysis. Optimal linear transformations, Sebastian transform, Fisher linear discriminant.
13. IT methods of blood sugar control: Experimental data on blood glucose control. How regulation works in physiological cases. Blood sugar control in abnormal cases, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Model-based blood glucose control in type 1 diabetes. Support blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes with lifestyle (nutrition and physical activity) counselling system. Application example: Avalanche, smartphone-based consulting system.