A fundamental challenge in neuroscience is to decode mental states from brain activity. While functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers a non-invasive approach to capture brain-wide neural dynamics with high spatial precision, decoding from fMRI data -- particularly from task-evoked activity -- remains challenging due to its high dimensionality, low signal-to-noise ratio, and limited within-subject data. Here, we leverage recent advances in computer vision and propose STDA-SwiFT, a transformer-based model that learns transferable representations from large-scale fMRI datasets via spatial-temporal divided attention and self-supervised contrastive learning. Using pretrained voxel-wise representations from 995 subjects in the Human Connectome Project (HCP), we show that our model substantially improves downstream decoding performance of task-evoked activity across multiple sensory and cognitive domains, even with minimal data preprocessing. We demonstrate performance gains from larger receptor fields afforded by our memory-efficient attention mechanism, as well as the impact of functional relevance in pretraining data when fine-tuning on small samples. Our work showcases transfer learning as a viable approach to harness large-scale datasets to overcome challenges in decoding brain activity from fMRI data.

Accurate identification of late-life depression (LLD) using structural brain MRI is essential for monitoring disease progression and facilitating timely intervention. However, existing learning-based approaches for LLD detection are often constrained by limited sample sizes (e.g., tens), which poses significant challenges for reliable model training and generalization. Although incorporating auxiliary datasets can expand the training set, substantial domain heterogeneity, such as differences in imaging protocols, scanner hardware, and population demographics, often undermines cross-domain transferability. To address this issue, we propose a Collaborative Domain Adaptation (CDA) framework for LLD detection using T1-weighted MRIs. The CDA leverages a Vision Transformer (ViT) to capture global anatomical context and a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to extract local structural features, with each branch comprising an encoder and a classifier. The CDA framework consists of three stages: (a) supervised training on labeled source data, (b) self-supervised target feature adaptation and (c) collaborative training on unlabeled target data. We first train ViT and CNN on source data, followed by self-supervised target feature adaptation by minimizing the discrepancy between classifier outputs from two branches to make the categorical boundary clearer. The collaborative training stage employs pseudo-labeled and augmented target-domain MRIs, enforcing prediction consistency under strong and weak augmentation to enhance domain robustness and generalization. Extensive experiments conducted on multi-site T1-weighted MRI data demonstrate that the CDA consistently outperforms state-of-the-art unsupervised domain adaptation methods.

Radiation-induced xerostomia is a common sequela in patients who undergo head and neck radiation therapy. This study aims to develop a three-dimensional deep learning model to predict xerostomia by fusing data from the gross tumor volume primary (GTVp) channel and parotid glands (PGs) channel. Retrospective data were collected from 180 head and neck cancer patients. Xerostomia was defined as xerostomia of grade ≥ 2 occurring in the 6th month of radiation therapy. The dataset was split into 137 cases (58.4% xerostomia, 41.6% non-xerostomia) for training and 43 (55.8% xerostomia, 44.2% non-xerostomia) for testing. XeroNet was composed of GNet, PNet, and a Naive Bayes decision fusion layer. GNet processed data from the GTVp channel (CT, dose distributions corresponding and the GTVp contours). PNet processed data from the PGs channel (CT, dose distributions and the PGs contours). The Naive Bayes decision fusion layer was used to integrate the results from GNet and PNet. Model performance was evaluated using accuracy, F-score, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). The proposed model achieved promising prediction results. The accuracy, AUC, F-score, sensitivity and specificity were 0.779, 0.858, 0.797, 0.777, and 0.782, respectively. Features extracted from the CT and dose distributions in the GTVp and PGs regions were used to construct machine learning models. However, the performance of these models was inferior to our method. Compared with recent studies on xerostomia prediction, our method also showed better performance. The proposed model could effectively extract features from the GTVp and PGs channels, achieving good performance in xerostomia prediction.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type of brain cancer, making effective treatments essential to improve patient survival. To advance the understanding of GBM and develop more effective therapies, preclinical studies commonly use mouse models due to their genetic and physiological similarities to humans. In particular, the GL261 mouse glioma model is employed for its reproducible tumor growth and ability to mimic key aspects of human gliomas. Ultrasound imaging is a valuable modality in preclinical studies, offering real-time, non-invasive tumor monitoring and facilitating treatment response assessment. Furthermore, its potential therapeutic applications, such as in tumor ablation, expand its utility in preclinical studies. However, real-time segmentation of GL261 tumors during surgery introduces significant complexities, such as precise tumor boundary delineation and maintaining processing efficiency. Automated segmentation offers a solution, but its success relies on high-quality datasets with precise labeling. Our study introduces the first publicly available ultrasound dataset specifically developed to improve tumor segmentation in GL261 glioblastomas, providing 1,856 annotated images to support AI model development in preclinical research. This dataset bridges preclinical insights and clinical practice, laying the foundation for developing more accurate and effective tumor resection techniques.

Brain tumors (BT) can cause fatal outcomes by affecting body functions, making precise early detection via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations critical. The complex variations found in cells of BT may pose challenges in identifying the type of tumor and selecting the most suitable treatment strategy, potentially resulting in different assessments by doctors. As a result, in recent years, AI-powered diagnostic systems have been created to accurately and efficiently identify different types of BT using MRI images. Notably, state-of-the-art deep learning architectures, which have demonstrated efficacy in diverse domains, are now being employed effectively for classifying of brain MRI images. This research presents a hybrid model that integrates spatial attention mechanism (SAM) with ConvNeXt to classify three types of BT: meningioma, pituitary, and glioma. The hybrid model integrates ConvNeXt to enhance the receptive field, capturing information from a broader spatial context, crucial for recognizing tumor patterns spanning multiple pixels. SAM is applied after ConvNeXt, enabling the network to selectively focus on informative regions, thereby improving the model's ability to distinguish BT types and capture complex spatial relationships. Tested on BSF and Figshare datasets, the proposed model achieves a remarkable accuracy of 99.39% and 98.86%, respectively, outperforming the results of recent studies by achieving these results in fewer training periods. This hybrid model marks a major step forward in the automatic classification of BT, demonstrating superior performance in accuracy with efficient training.

The advent of anti-amyloid therapies (AATs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has elevated the importance of MRI surveillance for amyloidrelated imaging abnormalities (ARIA) such as microhemorrhages and siderosis (ARIA-H) and edema (ARIA-E). We report a literature review and early quality assurance experience with an FDA-cleared assistive AI tool intended for detection of ARIA in MRI clinical workflows. The AI system improved sensitivity for detection of subtle ARIA-E and ARIA-H lesions but at the cost of a reduction in specificity. We propose a tiered workflow combining protocol harmonization and expert interpretation with AI overlay review. AI-assisted ARIA detection is a paradigm shift that offers great promise to enhance patient safety as disease-modifying therapies for AD gain broader clinical use; however, some pitfalls need to be considered.ABBREVIATIONS: AAT＝ anti-amyloid therapy; ARIA＝ amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, ARIA-H = amyloid-related imaging abnormality-hemorrhage, ARIA-E = amyloid-related imaging abnormality-edema.

This study aims to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of MRI-based brain tumor diagnosis by leveraging deep learning (DL) techniques applied to multichannel MRI inputs. MRI data were collected from 203 subjects, including 100 normal cases and 103 cases with 13 distinct brain tumor types. Non-contrast T1-weighted (T1w) and T2-weighted (T2w) images were combined with their average to form RGB three-channel inputs, enriching the representation for model training. Several convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures were evaluated for tumor classification, while fully convolutional networks (FCNs) were employed for tumor segmentation. Standard preprocessing, normalization, and training procedures were rigorously followed. The RGB fusion of T1w, T2w, and their average significantly enhanced model performance. The classification task achieved a top accuracy of 98.3% using the Darknet53 model, and segmentation attained a mean Dice score of 0.937 with ResNet50. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of multichannel input fusion and model selection in improving brain tumor analysis. While not yet integrated into clinical workflows, this approach holds promise for future development of DL-assisted decision-support tools in radiological practice.

Early-stage Brain tumor detection is critical for timely diagnosis and effective treatment. We propose a hybrid deep learning method, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) integrated with YOLO (You Only Look once) and SAM (Segment Anything Model) for diagnosing tumors. A novel hybrid deep learning framework combining a CNN with YOLOv11 for real-time object detection and the SAM for precise segmentation. Enhancing the CNN backbone with deeper convolutional layers to enable robust feature extraction, while YOLOv11 localizes tumor regions, SAM is used to refine the tumor boundaries through detailed mask generation. A dataset of 896 MRI brain images is used for training, testing, and validating the model, including images of both tumors and healthy brains. Additionally, CNN-based YOLO+SAM methods were utilized successfully to segment and diagnose brain tumors. Our suggested model achieves good performance of Precision as 94.2%, Recall as 95.6% and mAP50(B) score as 96.5% demonstrating and highlighting the effectiveness of the proposed approach for early-stage brain tumor diagnosis Conclusion: The validation is demonstrated through a comprehensive ablation study. The robustness of the system makes it more suitable for clinical deployment.

Neurological disorders are marked by neurodegeneration, leading to impaired cognition, psychosis, and mood alterations. These symptoms are typically associated with functional changes in both emotional and cognitive processes, which are often correlated with anatomical variations in the brain. Hence, brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data have become a critical focus in research, particularly for predictive modeling. The involvement of large MRI data consortia, such as the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), has facilitated numerous MRI-based classification studies utilizing advanced artificial intelligence models. Among these, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and non-convolutional artificial neural networks (NC-ANNs) have been prominently employed for brain image processing tasks. These deep learning models have shown significant promise in enhancing the predictive performance for the diagnosis of neurological disorders, with a particular emphasis on Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of these deep learning studies, critically evaluating their methodologies and outcomes. By categorizing the studies into various sub-fields, we aimed to highlight the strengths and limitations of using MRI-based deep learning approaches for diagnosing brain disorders. Furthermore, we discussed the potential implications of these advancements in clinical practice, considering the challenges and future directions for improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. Through this detailed analysis, we seek to contribute to the ongoing efforts in harnessing AI for better understanding and management of AD.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common mental disorder, and making an early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment. Functional Connectivity Network (FCN) constructed based on functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) have demonstrated the potential to reveal the mechanisms underlying brain abnormalities. Deep learning has been widely employed to extract features from FCN, but existing methods typically operate directly on the network, failing to fully exploit their deep information. Although graph coarsening techniques offer certain advantages in extracting the brain's complex structure, they may also result in the loss of critical information. To address this issue, we propose the Multi-Granularity Brain Networks Fusion (MGBNF) framework. MGBNF models brain networks through multi-granularity analysis and constructs combinatorial modules to enhance feature extraction. Finally, the Constrained Attention Pooling (CAP) mechanism is employed to achieve the effective integration of multi-channel features. In the feature extraction stage, the parameter sharing mechanism is introduced and applied to multiple channels to capture similar connectivity patterns between different channels while reducing the number of parameters. We validate the effectiveness of the MGBNF model on multiple classification tasks and various brain atlases. The results demonstrate that MGBNF outperforms baseline models in terms of classification performance. Ablation experiments further validate its effectiveness. In addition, we conducted a thorough analysis of the variability of different subtypes of MDD by multiple classification tasks, and the results support further clinical applications.