Development of predictive models of laboratory animal growth using artificial neural networks.

Traditional regression analysis of body weight growth curves encounters problems when the data are extremely variable. While transformations are often employed to meet the criteria of the analysis, some transformations are inadequate for normalizing the data. Regression analysis also requires presuppositions regarding the model to be fit and the techniques to be used in the analysis. An alternative approach using artificial neural networks is presented which may be suitable for developing predictive models of growth. Neural networks are simulators of the processes that occur in the biological brain during the learning process. They are trained on the data, developing the necessary algorithms within their internal architecture, and produce a predictive model based on the learned facts. A dataset of Sprague-Dawley rat (Rattus norvegicus) weights is analyzed by both traditional regression analysis and neural network training. Predictions of body weight are made from both models. While both methods produce models that adequately predict the body weights, the neural network model is superior in that it combines accuracy and precision, being less influenced by longitudinal variability in the data. Thus, the neural network provides another tool for researchers to analyze growth curve data.