In recent years, spinal X-ray image segmentation has played a vital role in the computer-aided diagnosis of various adolescent spinal disorders. However, due to the complex morphology of lesions and the fact that most existing methods are tailored to single-disease scenarios, current segmentation networks struggle to balance local detail preservation and global structural understanding across different disease types. As a result, they often suffer from limited accuracy, insufficient robustness, and poor adaptability. To address these challenges, we propose a novel fully automated spinal segmentation network, DCE-UNet, which integrates the local modeling strength of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with the global contextual awareness of Transformers. The network introduces several architectural and feature fusion innovations. Specifically, a lightweight Transformer module is incorporated in the encoder to model high-level semantic features and enhance global contextual understanding. In the decoder, a Rec-Block module combining residual convolution and channel attention is designed to improve feature reconstruction and multi-scale fusion during the upsampling process. Additionally, the downsampling feature extraction path integrates a novel DC-Block that fuses channel and spatial attention mechanisms, enhancing the network's ability to represent complex lesion structures. Experiments conducted on a self-constructed large-scale multi-disease adolescent spinal X-ray dataset demonstrate that DCE-UNet achieves a Dice score of 91.3%, a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 84.1, and a Hausdorff Distance (HD) of 4.007, outperforming several state-of-the-art comparison networks. Validation on real segmentation tasks further confirms that DCE-UNet delivers consistently superior performance across various lesion regions, highlighting its strong adaptability to multiple pathologies and promising potential for clinical application.

Development and verification of a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based deep learning (DL) model for mandibular canal (MC) localization on multicenter cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. In this study, a total 1056 CBCT scans in multiple centers were collected. Of these, 836 CBCT scans of one manufacturer were used for development of CNN model (training set: validation set: internal testing set = 640:360:36) and an external testing dataset of 220 CBCT scans from other four manufacturers were tested. The convolution module was built using a stack of Conv + InstanceNorm + LeakyReLU. Average symmetric surface distance (ASSD) and symmetric mean curve distance (SMCD) were used for quantitative evaluation of this model for both internal testing data and partial external testing data. Visual scoring (1-5 points) were performed to evaluate the accuracy and generalizability of MC localization for all external testing data. The differences of ASSD, SMCD and visual scores among the four manufacturers were compared for external testing dataset. The time of manual and automatic MC localization were recorded. For the internal testing dataset, the average ASSD and SMCD was 0.486 mm and 0.298 mm respectively. For the external testing dataset, 86.8% CBCT scans' visual scores ≥ 4 points; the average ASSD and SMCD of 40 CBCT scans with visual scores ≥ 4 points were 0.438 mm and 0.185 mm respectively; there were significant differences among the four manufacturers for ASSD, SMCD and visual scores (p < 0.05). And the time for bilateral automatic MC localization was 8.52s (± 0.97s). In this study, a CNN model was developed for automatic MC localization, and external testing of large sample on multicenter CBCT images showed its excellent clinical application potential.

Aging of the brain is characterized by deleterious processes at various levels including cellular/molecular and structural/functional changes. Many of these processes can be assessed in vivo by means of modern neuroimaging procedures, allowing the quantification of brain age in different modalities. Brain age can be measured by suitable machine learning strategies. The deviation (in both directions) between a person's measured brain age and chronologic age is referred to as the brain age gap (BAG). Although brain age, as defined by these methods, generally is related to the chronologic age of a person, this relationship is not always parallel and can also vary significantly between individuals. Importantly, whereas neurodegenerative disorders are not equivalent to accelerated brain aging, they may induce brain changes that resemble those of older adults, which can be captured by brain age models. Inversely, healthy brain aging may involve a resistance or delay of the onset of neurodegenerative pathologies in the brain. This continuing education article elaborates how the BAG can be computed and explores how BAGs, derived from diverse neuroimaging modalities, offer unique insights into the phenotypes of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Structural BAGs from T1-weighted MRI have shown promise as phenotypic biomarkers for monitoring neurodegenerative disease progression especially in Alzheimer disease. Additionally, metabolic and molecular BAGs from molecular imaging, functional BAGs from functional MRI, and microstructural BAGs from diffusion MRI, although researched considerably less, each may provide distinct perspectives on particular brain aging processes and their deviations from healthy aging. We suggest that BAG estimation, when based on the appropriate modality, could potentially be useful for disease monitoring and offer interesting insights concerning the impact of therapeutic interventions.

Multimodal data integration has emerged as a transformative approach in the health care sector, systematically combining complementary biological and clinical data sources such as genomics, medical imaging, electronic health records, and wearable device outputs. This approach provides a multidimensional perspective of patient health that enhances the diagnosis, treatment, and management of various medical conditions. This viewpoint presents an overview of the current state of multimodal integration in health care, spanning clinical applications, current challenges, and future directions. We focus primarily on its applications across different disease domains, particularly in oncology and ophthalmology. Other diseases are briefly discussed due to the few available literature. In oncology, the integration of multimodal data enables more precise tumor characterization and personalized treatment plans. Multimodal fusion demonstrates accurate prediction of anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 therapy response (area under the curve=0.91). In ophthalmology, multimodal integration through the combination of genetic and imaging data facilitates the early diagnosis of retinal diseases. However, substantial challenges remain regarding data standardization, model deployment, and model interpretability. We also highlight the future directions of multimodal integration, including its expanded disease applications, such as neurological and otolaryngological diseases, and the trend toward large-scale multimodal models, which enhance accuracy. Overall, the innovative potential of multimodal integration is expected to further revolutionize the health care industry, providing more comprehensive and personalized solutions for disease management.

Inherently lower signal-to-noise ratios hamper the broad clinical use of low-field abdominal MRI. This study aimed to investigate the technical feasibility and image quality of deep learning (DL)-enhanced T2 HASTE and T1 VIBE-Dixon abdominal MRI at 0.55 T. From July 2024 to September 2024, healthy volunteers underwent conventional and DL-enhanced 0.55 T abdominal MRI, including conventional T2 HASTE, fat-suppressed T2 HASTE (HASTE FS), and T1 VIBE-Dixon acquisitions, and DL-enhanced single- (HASTE DL_SBH) and multi-breath-hold HASTE (HASTE DL_MBH), fat-suppressed single- (HASTE FS DL_SBH) and multi-breath-hold HASTE (HASTE FS DL_MBH), and T1 VIBE-Dixon (VIBE-Dixon_DL) acquisitions. Three abdominal radiologists evaluated the scans for quality parameters and artifacts (Likert scale 1-5), and incidental findings. Interreader agreement and comparative analyses were conducted. 33 healthy volunteers (mean age: 30±4years) were evaluated. Image quality was better for single breath-hold DL-enhanced MRI (all P<0.001) with good or better interreader agreement (κ≥0.61), including T2 HASTE (HASTE DL_SBH: 4 [IQR: 4-4] vs. HASTE: 3 [3-3]), T2 HASTE FS (4 [4-4] vs. 3 [3-3]), and T1 VIBE-Dixon (4 [4-5] vs. 4 [3-4]). Similarly, image noise and spatial resolution were better for DL-MRI scans (P<0.001). No quality differences were found between single- and multi-breath-hold HASTE DL or HASTE FS DL (both: 4 [4-4]; P>0.572). The number and size of incidental lesions were identical between techniques (16 lesions; mean diameter 8±5 mm; P=1.000). DL-based image reconstruction enables single breath-hold T2 HASTE and T1 VIBE-Dixon abdominal imaging at 0.55 T with better image quality than conventional MRI.

Dental implant treatment planning requires assessing extraction socket healing, yet current methods face challenges distinguishing soft tissue from woven bone on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging and lack standardized classification systems. In this study, we propose a hierarchical multilabel classification model for CBCT-based extraction socket healing assessment. We established a novel classification system dividing extraction socket healing status into two levels: Level 1 distinguishes physiological healing (Type I) from pathological healing (Type II); Level 2 is further subdivided into 5 subtypes. The HierTransFuse-Net architecture integrates ResNet50 with a two-dimensional transformer module for hierarchical multilabel classification. Additionally, a stratified diagnostic principle coupled with random forest algorithms supported personalized implant treatment planning. The HierTransFuse-Net model performed excellently in classifying extraction socket healing, achieving an mAccuracy of 0.9705, with mPrecision, mRecall, and mF1 scores of 0.9156, 0.9376, and 0.9253, respectively. The HierTransFuse-Net model demonstrated superior diagnostic reliability (κω = 0.9234) significantly exceeding that of clinical practitioners (mean κω = 0.7148, range: 0.6449-0.7843). The random forest model based on stratified diagnostic decision indicators achieved an accuracy of 81.48% and an mF1 score of 82.55% in predicting 12 clinical treatment pathways. This study successfully developed HierTransFuse-Net, which demonstrated excellent performance in distinguishing different extraction socket healing statuses and subtypes. Random forest algorithms based on stratified diagnostic indicators have shown potential for clinical pathway prediction. The hierarchical multilabel classification system simulates clinical diagnostic reasoning, enabling precise disease stratification and providing a scientific basis for personalized treatment decisions.

Supervised learning techniques have proven their efficacy in many applications with abundant data. However, applying these methods to medical imaging is challenging due to the scarcity of data, given the high acquisition costs and intricate data characteristics of those images, thereby limiting the full potential of deep neural networks. To address the lack of data, augmentation techniques leverage geometry, color, and the synthesis ability of generative models (GMs). Despite previous efforts, gaps in the generation process limit the impact of data augmentation to improve understanding of medical images, e.g., the highly structured nature of some domains, such as X-ray images, is ignored. Current GMs rely solely on the network's capacity to blindly synthesize augmentations that preserve semantic relationships of chest X-ray images, such as anatomical restrictions, representative structures, or structural similarities consistent across datasets. In this paper, we introduce a novel GM that leverages the structural resemblance of medical images by learning a latent graph representation (LGR). We design an end-to-end model to learn (i) a LGR that captures the intrinsic structure of X-ray images and (ii) a graph convolutional network (GCN) that reconstructs the X-ray image from the LGR. We employ adversarial training to guide the generator and discriminator models in learning the distribution of the learned LGR. Using the learned GCN, our approach generates structure-preserving synthetic images by mapping generated LGRs to X-ray. Additionally, we evaluate the learned graph representation for other tasks, such as X-ray image classification and segmentation. Numerical experiments demonstrate the efficacy of our approach, increasing performance up to $3\%$ and $2\%$ for classification and segmentation, respectively.

Coronary microvascular disease (CMVD) is an underdiagnosed but significant contributor to the burden of ischemic heart disease, characterized by angina and myocardial infarction. The development of risk prediction models such as polygenic risk scores (PRS) for CMVD has been limited by a lack of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, there is significant overlap between CMVD and enrollment criteria for coronary artery disease (CAD) GWAS. In this study, we developed CMVD PRS models by selecting variants identified in a CMVD GWAS and applying weights from an external CAD GWAS, using CMVD-associated loci as proxies for the genetic risk. We integrated plasma proteomics, clinical measures from perfusion PET imaging, and PRS to evaluate their contributions to CMVD risk prediction in comprehensive machine and deep learning models. We then developed a novel unsupervised endotyping framework for CMVD from perfusion PET-derived myocardial blood flow data, revealing distinct patient subgroups beyond traditional case-control definitions. This imaging-based stratification substantially improved classification performance alongside plasma proteomics and PRS, achieving AUROCs between 0.65 and 0.73 per class, significantly outperforming binary classifiers and existing clinical models, highlighting the potential of this stratification approach to enable more precise and personalized diagnosis by capturing the underlying heterogeneity of CMVD. This work represents the first application of imaging-based endotyping and the integration of genetic and proteomic data for CMVD risk prediction, establishing a framework for multimodal modeling in complex diseases.

The discovery of genetic loci associated with brain architecture can provide deeper insights into neuroscience and potentially lead to improved personalized medicine outcomes. Previously, we designed the Unsupervised Deep learning-derived Imaging Phenotypes (UDIPs) approach to extract phenotypes from brain imaging using a convolutional (CNN) autoencoder, and conducted brain imaging GWAS on UK Biobank (UKBB). In this work, we design a vision transformer (ViT)-based autoencoder, leveraging its distinct inductive bias and its ability to capture unique patterns through its pairwise attention mechanism. The encoder generates contextual embeddings for input patches, from which we derive a 128-dimensional latent representation, interpreted as phenotypes, by applying average pooling. The GWAS on these 128 phenotypes discovered 10 loci previously unreported by CNN-based UDIP model, 3 of which had no previous associations with brain structure in the GWAS Catalog. Our interpretation results suggest that these novel associations stem from the ViTs capability to learn sparse attention patterns, enabling the capturing of non-local patterns such as left-right hemisphere symmetry within brain MRI data. Our results highlight the advantages of transformer-based architectures in feature extraction and representation learning for genetic discovery.

BackgroundHead and neck cancer (HNC) patients face an increased risk of malnutrition due to lifestyle, tumor localization, and treatment effects. While skeletal muscle area (SMA) and radiation attenuation (SM-RA) at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) are established prognostic markers, L3 is not routinely available in head and neck imaging. The prognostic value of SM-RA at the third cervical vertebra (C3) remains unclear. This study assesses whether SMA and SM-RA at C3 predict locoregional control (LRC) and overall survival (OS) in HNC. MethodsWe analyzed 904 HNC cases with head and neck CT scans. A deep learning pipeline identified C3, and SMA/SM-RA were quantified via automated segmentation with manual verification. Cox proportional hazards models assessed associations with LRC and OS, adjusting for clinical factors. ResultsMedian SMA and SM-RA were 36.64 cm{superscript 2} (IQR: 30.12-42.44) and 50.77 HU (IQR: 43.04-57.39). In multivariate analysis, lower SMA (HR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.02-2.58, p = 0.04), lower SM-RA (HR 1.89, 95% CI: 1.30-2.79, p < 0.001), and advanced T stage (HR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.06-2.12, p = 0.02) were prognostic for LRC. OS predictors included advanced T stage (HR 2.17, 95% CI: 1.64-2.87, p < 0.001), age [&ge;]70 years (HR 1.40, 95% CI: 1.00-1.96, p = 0.05), male sex (HR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.02-2.63, p = 0.04), and lower SM-RA (HR 2.15, 95% CI: 1.56-2.96, p < 0.001). ConclusionDeep learning-assisted SM-RA assessment at C3 outperforms SMA for LRC and OS in HNC, supporting its use as a routine biomarker and L3 alternative.