Automatic segmentation of Sylvian fissure in brain ultrasound images of pre-term infants using deep learning models
Objective Segmentation of brain sulci in pre-term infants is crucial for monitoring their development. While magnetic resonance imaging has been used for this purpose, cranial ultrasound (cUS) is the primary imaging technique used in clinical practice. Here, we present the first study aiming to auto...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/424167 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/424167 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.11.016 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Pre-term infants Brain sulci Sylvian fissure Segmentation Deep learning Ultrasonic imaging Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria biomèdica |
| Sumario: | Objective Segmentation of brain sulci in pre-term infants is crucial for monitoring their development. While magnetic resonance imaging has been used for this purpose, cranial ultrasound (cUS) is the primary imaging technique used in clinical practice. Here, we present the first study aiming to automate brain sulci segmentation in pre-term infants using ultrasound images. Methods Our study focused on segmentation of the Sylvian fissure in a single cUS plane (C3), although this approach could be extended to other sulci and planes. We evaluated the performance of deep learning models, specifically U-Net and ResU-Net, in automating the segmentation process in two scenarios. First, we conducted cross-validation on images acquired from the same ultrasound machine. Second, we applied fine-tuning techniques to adapt the models to images acquired from different vendors. Results The ResU-Net approach achieved Dice and Sensitivity scores of 0.777 and 0.784, respectively, in the cross-validation experiment. When applied to external datasets, results varied based on similarity to the training images. Similar images yielded comparable results, while different images showed a drop in performance. Additionally, this study highlighted the advantages of ResU-Net over U-Net, suggesting that residual connections enhance the model's ability to learn and represent complex anatomical structures. Conclusion This study demonstrated the feasibility of using deep learning models to automatically segment the Sylvian fissure in cUS images. Accurate sonographic characterisation of cerebral sulci can improve the understanding of brain development and aid in identifying infants with different developmental trajectories, potentially impacting later functional outcomes. |
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