Approximate entropy as a measure of irregularity for psychiatric serial metrics.

摘要: Objectives:  The quantification of subtle patterns in sequential data, and their changes, has considerable potential utility throughout psychiatry, including the analyses mood ratings, heart rate, respiratory, electroencephalographic recordings. Methods:  Approximate entropy (ApEn), a relatively recently developed statistic quantifying serial irregularity, been applied numerous studies mathematics other fields study, especially biology. Results:  We discussed applications ApEn, both extant potential, most relevance to psychiatrists. provided mechanistic interpretation lowered ApEn values, discusses relationship between (both classical complexity) measures dynamics. also briefly cross-ApEn, thematically similar two-variable asynchrony that can aid uncovering disruptions complicated network dynamics. Conclusions:  cross-ApEn have significant consequentially enhance present statistical methodologies analysis psychiatric clinical research settings.