Perhaps surprisingly, even in life-threatening diseases like breast cancer, patients are not fully engaged with their doctor-recommended treatment regimens. In a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers Partridge and LaFountain, found that 26% of patients with breast cancer took less than the recommended effective dose of medication. Who are these people? Why do they not adhere to their doctor’s recommendations? How are they different to those who adhere to recommendations? Can we identify them at the beginning of treatment? And how can we help support them in appropriate medical management? A neuroscience predictive model was developed that answered these questions. The model was highly predictive of a patient’s intentions (R2=0.89). The model also allowed for a short diagnostic tool to be developed which provided the likelihood of engagement with treatment as well as a cognitive profile that underscored the patient’s cognition and behavior relating to their breast cancer treatment.

A similar approach was taken to develop the cognitive architecture of caregivers’ approach to managing children with ADHD. The model revealed several interesting predictive factors that spurred the development of physician education materials as well as physician-patient communication materials and take-home materials.