A regularized volumetric ConvNet based Alzheimer detection using T1-weighted MRI images

Abstract

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease is a gradual neurodegenerative condition affecting the brain, causing a decline in cognitive function by progressively damaging nerve cells over time. While a cure for Alzheimer’s remains elusive, the detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) through brain biomarkers is crucial to impede its advancement. High-resolution structural MRI scans, particularly T1-weighted images, are commonly used in Alzheimer’s detection. These images provide detailed information about the brain’s structure, allowing researchers and clinicians to identify abnormalities. Our study employs a deep learning methodology using T1-weighted MRI images for a binary classification task—distinguishing between AD and normal/healthy control (NC). The volumetric convolutional neural network model is deployed on pre-processed images and validated on MIRIAD datasets, achieving an impressive accuracy of 97%, surpassing other network models. Addressing the challenge of limited datasets for deep learning models, we incorporated various augmentation techniques such as rotation and rescaling, resulting in outstanding model accuracy and effective discerning between Alzheimer’s disease and normal controls.

Keywords

• Alzheimer’s disease
• neuroimaging
• deep learning
• magnetic resonance imaging
• convolutional neural network
• Jin Zhongmin