Pharmacokinetics statistical moment theory

P.R. Mayer and R.K. Brazell, Application of statistical moment theory to pharmacokinetics. J. Clin. Pharmacology, 28 (1988) 481-483. 

Riegelman S, Collier P. The application of statistical moment theory to the evaluation of in vivo dissolution time and absorption time. J Pharmacokinet Biopharm 1980 8 509-534. 

Intravenous Drug Disposition. The estimation of primary pharmacokinetic parameters using noncompartmental analysis is based on statistical moment theory [45, 46]. The relationships dehned by this theory are valid under the assumption that the system is linear and time-invariant. For simplicity, we further assume that drug is irreversibly removed only from a single accessible pool (e.g., plasma space). Regardless of the route of administration, the temporal profile of plasma drug concentrations, Cp(t), can represent a statistical distribution curve. As such, the zeroth and first statistical moments (Mo and Mi) are defined as ... 

Statistical moment analysis is a noncompartmental method, based on statistical moment theory, for calculation of the absorption, distribution, and elimination parameters of a drug. This approach to estimating pharmacokinetic parameters has gained considerable attention in recent years. 

In recent years, non-compartmental or model-independent approaches to pharmacokinetic data analysis have been increasingly utilized since this approach permits the analysis of data without the use of a specific compartment model. Consequently, sophisticated, and often complex, computational methods are not required. The statistical or non-compartmental concept was first reported by Yamaoka in a general manner and by Cutler with specific application to mean absorption time. Riegelman and Collier reviewed and clarified these concepts and applied statistical moment theory to the evaluation of in vivo absorption time. This concept has many additional significant applications in pharmacokinetic calculations. 

In many cases pharmacokinetic data (i.e. plasma drug concentration versus time data) cannot be fitted to an explicit equation equivalent to a system containing a discrete number of compartments into which dmg distributes. This data analysis requires some form of non-compartmental analysis (also referred to as model-independent analysis.) This is achieved by the use of statistical moment theory. 

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