Readme.md

In MarieRitterUva/ProgrammingNextStep: SADE - Simulating Addiction with Difference Equations

SimulADE - Simulating Addiction with Difference Equations

This is a program that was developed by Marie Ritter on the basis of a paper by Grasman, Grasman, and van der Maas (2016). The program implements the model proposed in this paper and provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to interact with the program. From input parameters the program simulates the progress of addiction and creates graphs over time as well as a bifurcation diagram. Furthermore, the program provides the option to estimate how successful a therapy might be when entering parameters for both the therapy time as well as the time afterwards under the tab Therapy Success (in development). Lastly, users can download the produced data file from the last simulation in order to inspect it further.

Development Circumstances

This is a program created under supervision from Professor Han van der Maas and Claire Stevenson for the course "Programming: The next step" at the Universiteit van Amsterdam in Spring 2016.

Operation Instructions

The program is fairly simple to use. In the Basic Simulation tab the user can choose to simply inspect graphs from the simulation or to customize parameters. A description of all parameters can be found in the Parameters Explained tab. The user is also encouraged to try out different parameters and check what happens - this can be really fun! If a user wants to see some more advanced options, he can use the Bifurcation Diagram and/or Therapy Success tab. However, even these tabs are programmed so that users can try out different things and see the results quickly. For further instructions, users can always visit the Instructions tab.

Files

The complete program includes the following files:

• Bugs.txt Bug tracking file from developer

• DESCRIPTION Tags and information for the showcase mode.

• LICENSE.txt License for this program

• Readme.md The README file

• functions.R File from which functions are sourced.

• server.R Actual program

• ui.R Graphical interface

Bugs and Features in Developments

While the simulation works fine for most parameters, sometimes S and C fall below 0 - something that should not be possible given the equations by Grasman, Grasman, and van der Maas (2016) and something that is not realistic either. A fix to this bug is currently in development.

The Therapy Success tab of this app is still in development. Currently SimulADE was only tested with alcohol addiction. The paper by Grasman, Grasman, and van der Maas (2016) also includes a slightly altered model for nicotine addiction that can be implemented in the future. Apart from that, theoretical work might be needed first.

Further information

Further information on the model can be obtained from the paper by Grasman, Grasman, and van der Maas (2016). Further information on the program can be obtained fromt the developer: [e-mail].

Reference

Grasman, J., Grasman, R. P. P. P., & van der Maas, H. L. J. (2016). The dynamics of addiction: craving versus self-control. Manuscript submitted for revision.

MarieRitterUva/ProgrammingNextStep documentation built on May 7, 2019, 2:51 p.m.