Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40308831›Full record

ReviewBiology methods & protocols2025

Navigating the Multiverse: a Hitchhiker's guide to selecting harmonization methods for multimodal biomedical data.

Murali Aadhitya Magateshvaren Saras, Mithun K Mitra, Sonika Tyagi

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Biology methods & protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Murali Aadhitya Magateshvaren SarasIITB-Monash Research Academy, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2473-8467
Mithun K MitraDepartment of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1777-7356
Sonika TyagiSchool of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3181, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0181-6258

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The application of machine learning (ML) techniques in predictive modelling has greatly advanced our comprehension of biological systems. There is a notable shift in the trend towards integration methods that specifically target the simultaneous analysis of multiple modes or types of data, showcasing superior results compared to individual analyses. Despite the availability of diverse ML architectures for researchers interested in embracing a multimodal approach, the current literature lacks a comprehensive taxonomy that includes the pros and cons of these methods to guide the entire process. Closing this gap is imperative, necessitating the creation of a robust framework. This framework should not only categorize the diverse ML architectures suitable for multimodal analysis but also offer insights into their respective advantages and limitations. Additionally, such a framework can serve as a valuable guide for selecting an appropriate workflow for multimodal analysis. This comprehensive taxonomy would provide a clear guidance and support informed decision-making within the progressively intricate landscape of biomedical and clinical data analysis. This is an essential step towards advancing personalized medicine. The aims of the work are to comprehensively study and describe the harmonization processes that are performed and reported in the literature and present a working guide that would enable planning and selecting an appropriate integrative model. We present harmonization as a dual process of representation and integration, each with multiple methods and categories. The taxonomy of the various representation and integration methods are classified into six broad categories and detailed with the advantages, disadvantages and examples. A guide flowchart describing the step-by-step processes that are needed to adopt a multimodal approach is also presented along with examples and references. This review provides a thorough taxonomy of methods for harmonizing multimodal data and introduces a foundational 10-step guide for newcomers to implement a multimodal workflow.

Indexed as

data integrationdeep learningdigital healthfeature representationmultimodal integration

Identifiers

PMID40308831
PMCPMC12043205

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.