Machine learning techniques for MRI feature-based detection of frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Making a diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases at an early stage is one of the most significant challenges of modern neuroscience. Although this family of diseases remains without a cure, the effectiveness of their medical treatment largely relies on the timing of their detection. For certain groups of diseases, such as Fronto-Temporal Dementia (FTD), trained professionals can effectively reach a correct diagnosis through the visual analysis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, in its functional (fMRI) or raw (MRI) version. However, this operation is time-consuming and may be subject to personal interpretation. In this paper, we explore the performance of a group of machine learning algorithms to formulate a correct FTD diagnosis, in order to provide medical professionals with a supporting tool. The dataset consists of MRI data acquired on 30 subjects, and the experiments are carried out by investigating different fMRI techniques based on a Multi-Voxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) approach. The results obtained show high accuracy in identifying FTD in elderly patients when Support Vector Machine and Random Forest techniques are used, with outcomes varying based on the fMRI methods.