Computer Aided Diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease Using Support Vector Machines and Classication Trees

D. Salas-Gonzalez1, J. M. G orriz1 , J. Ram rez1 , 1 1 1 M. L opez , I. Alvarez , F. Segovia , and C. G. Puntonet2

1

Dept. of Signal Theory, Networking and Communications, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain, dsalas@ugr.es, gorriz@ugr.es, javierrp@ugr.es Dept. of Computer Architecture and Computer Technology, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain, carlos@atc.ugr.es

Problem specication

This paper shows a computer aided diagnosis (CAD) system for the early detection of Alzheimer Type Dementia (ATD) using Support Vector Machines (SVM) classiers applied to dierent components of the brain image. SVM is a powerful tool which has been recently focused the attention for the classication of tomography brain images [1, 2]. The information obtained from the components of the image is analyzed under a classication tree approach [3]. The proposed methodology allows us to choose the most relevant components of the image or regions of interest. Thus, the classication tree improves the classication of brain images upon considering the support vector machine classier only.

Methods

79 image les were taken from a concurrent study investigating the use of SPECT as a diagnostic tool for the early onset of Alzheimer-type dementia. Each image has an associate label, which is chosen to be 0 for Normal patients and +1 for ATD. These image labels have been labelled by experienced clinicians. After that, the images are resampled to a smaller size (17x23x19). Furthermore, we construct a mask which selects the voxels whose mean intensity value averaged over all images exceeds the half of the maximum mean intensity value. We convert the Image (17 23 19 matrix) into a column vector and divide this column vector into several components of dimension 100. Let M be the number of patients, N the number of components the brain is divided into, and cij , i = 1, 2, ..., N j = 1, 2, ..., M the component i of the patient j . A SVM classier with linear kernel is trained and tested on each component using a leave-oneout cross validation strategy. The classier is trained in all but one component, categorizing the remaining component by a label ij {Normal,ATD}. After

processing the whole database, the outcome is an ensemble of individual SVM results which will be used to construct a tree classier. The second step of this work consists in using the learning sample given by the results of the component-based SVM methodology to construct a tree classier. The training sample consists of data {cij , ij }. This classication tree will allow us to choose which components to use in the classication problem.

Results

The classication tree is designed to help us to choose which sequence of components is optimal to consider them in the classication task. Therefore, this can be seen as a procedure to automatically select regions of interest. Figure 1(a) shows the decision tree which has been obtained for the 79 SPECT images studied. This tree gives us a procedure to increase the accuracy of the SVM classier up to 90 %. The proposed classier consists in considering the component-based SVM decision using only the component #393 of the brain. If the classication result is not equal to 0 the image is ATD, otherwise, the component #511 is used in the classication. Again, if the classication result is not equal to 0 the image is ATD, and otherwise, the decision must be taken studying the component #396. Figures 1(b)(c)(d) show, in dark colour, the spatial localization in the brain of components selected by the rst node of the tree structured classier.

Component #393=0 yes Component #511=0 yes Component #396=0 yes NORMAL no ATD no ATD no ATD

(a) Decision tree.

(b) Sagittal plane.

(c) Coronal plane.

(d) Axial plane.

References
[1] Ram rez, J., G orriz, J.M., Romero, A., Lassl, A., Salas-Gonzalez, D., L opez, M., G omez-R o, M., Rodr guez, A.: Computer aided diagnosis of alzheimer type dementia combining support vector machines and discriminant set of features. Accepted in Information Sciences (2008) [2] Fung, G., Stoeckel, J.: SVM feature selection for classication of SPECT images of Alzheimers disease using spatial information. Knowledge and Information Systems 11(2) (2007) 243258 [3] Breiman, L., Friedman, J.H., Olshen, R.A., Stone, C.J.: Classication and regression trees. Chapman & Hall (1993)