Automatic recognition of specific local cortical folding patterns

Abstract

The study of local cortical folding patterns showed links with psychiatric illnesses as well as cognitive functions. Despite the tools now available to visualize cortical folds in 3D, manually classifying local sulcal patterns is a time-consuming and tedious task. In fact, 3D visualization of folds helps experts to identify different sulcal patterns but fold variability is so high that the distinction between these patterns sometimes requires the definition of complex criteria, making manual classification difficult and not reliable. However, the assessment of the impact of these patterns on the functional organization of the cortex could benefit from the study of large databases, especially when studying rare patterns. In this paper, several algorithms for the automatic classification of fold patterns are proposed to allow morphological studies to be extended and confirmed on such large databases. Three methods are proposed, the first based on a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, the second on the Scoring by Non-local Image Patch Estimator (SNIPE) approach and the third based on a 3D Convolution Neural Network (CNN). These methods are generic enough to be applicable to a wide range of folding patterns. They are tested on two types of patterns for which there is currently no method to automatically identify them: the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) patterns and the Power Button Sign (PBS). The two ACC patterns are almost equally present whereas PBS is a particularly rare pattern in the general population. The three models proposed achieve balanced accuracies of approximately 80% for ACC patterns classification and 60% for PBS classification. The CNN-based model is more interesting for the classification of ACC patterns thanks to its rapid execution. However, SVM and SNIPE-based models are more effective in managing unbalanced problems such as PBS recognition.