Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.

Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) with multiple, high b-values is critical for extracting tissue microstructure measurements; however, high b-value DWI images contain high noise levels that can overwhelm the signal of interest and bias microstructural measurements. Here, we propose a simple denoising...

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Main Authors: Hu Cheng, Sophia Vinci-Booher, Jian Wang, Bradley Caron, Qiuting Wen, Sharlene Newman, Franco Pestilli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274396
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author Hu Cheng
Sophia Vinci-Booher
Jian Wang
Bradley Caron
Qiuting Wen
Sharlene Newman
Franco Pestilli
author_facet Hu Cheng
Sophia Vinci-Booher
Jian Wang
Bradley Caron
Qiuting Wen
Sharlene Newman
Franco Pestilli
author_sort Hu Cheng
collection DOAJ
description Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) with multiple, high b-values is critical for extracting tissue microstructure measurements; however, high b-value DWI images contain high noise levels that can overwhelm the signal of interest and bias microstructural measurements. Here, we propose a simple denoising method that can be applied to any dataset, provided a low-noise, single-subject dataset is acquired using the same DWI sequence. The denoising method uses a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) and deep learning to learn from a low-noise dataset, voxel-by-voxel. The trained model can then be applied to high-noise datasets from other subjects. We validated the 1D-CNN denoising method by first demonstrating that 1D-CNN denoising resulted in DWI images that were more similar to the noise-free ground truth than comparable denoising methods, e.g., MP-PCA, using simulated DWI data. Using the same DWI acquisition but reconstructed with two common reconstruction methods, i.e. SENSE1 and sum-of-square, to generate a pair of low-noise and high-noise datasets, we then demonstrated that 1D-CNN denoising of high-noise DWI data collected from human subjects showed promising results in three domains: DWI images, diffusion metrics, and tractography. In particular, the denoised images were very similar to a low-noise reference image of that subject, more than the similarity between repeated low-noise images (i.e. computational reproducibility). Finally, we demonstrated the use of the 1D-CNN method in two practical examples to reduce noise from parallel imaging and simultaneous multi-slice acquisition. We conclude that the 1D-CNN denoising method is a simple, effective denoising method for DWI images that overcomes some of the limitations of current state-of-the-art denoising methods, such as the need for a large number of training subjects and the need to account for the rectified noise floor.
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spelling doaj.art-3f0021448461476595670f16a477962b2022-12-22T03:48:13ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01179e027439610.1371/journal.pone.0274396Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.Hu ChengSophia Vinci-BooherJian WangBradley CaronQiuting WenSharlene NewmanFranco PestilliDiffusion weighted imaging (DWI) with multiple, high b-values is critical for extracting tissue microstructure measurements; however, high b-value DWI images contain high noise levels that can overwhelm the signal of interest and bias microstructural measurements. Here, we propose a simple denoising method that can be applied to any dataset, provided a low-noise, single-subject dataset is acquired using the same DWI sequence. The denoising method uses a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) and deep learning to learn from a low-noise dataset, voxel-by-voxel. The trained model can then be applied to high-noise datasets from other subjects. We validated the 1D-CNN denoising method by first demonstrating that 1D-CNN denoising resulted in DWI images that were more similar to the noise-free ground truth than comparable denoising methods, e.g., MP-PCA, using simulated DWI data. Using the same DWI acquisition but reconstructed with two common reconstruction methods, i.e. SENSE1 and sum-of-square, to generate a pair of low-noise and high-noise datasets, we then demonstrated that 1D-CNN denoising of high-noise DWI data collected from human subjects showed promising results in three domains: DWI images, diffusion metrics, and tractography. In particular, the denoised images were very similar to a low-noise reference image of that subject, more than the similarity between repeated low-noise images (i.e. computational reproducibility). Finally, we demonstrated the use of the 1D-CNN method in two practical examples to reduce noise from parallel imaging and simultaneous multi-slice acquisition. We conclude that the 1D-CNN denoising method is a simple, effective denoising method for DWI images that overcomes some of the limitations of current state-of-the-art denoising methods, such as the need for a large number of training subjects and the need to account for the rectified noise floor.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274396
spellingShingle Hu Cheng
Sophia Vinci-Booher
Jian Wang
Bradley Caron
Qiuting Wen
Sharlene Newman
Franco Pestilli
Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.
PLoS ONE
title Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.
title_full Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.
title_fullStr Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.
title_full_unstemmed Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.
title_short Denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks.
title_sort denoising diffusion weighted imaging data using convolutional neural networks
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274396
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