Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning Techniques

The study of brain connectivity plays an important role in understanding the functional organizations of the brain. It also helps to identify connectivity signatures that can be used for evaluating neural disorders and monitoring treatment efficacy. In this work, age-related changes in brain connect...

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Main Authors: Sravani Varanasi, Roopan Tuli, Fei Han, Rong Chen, Fow-Sen Choa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-02-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/3/1603
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author Sravani Varanasi
Roopan Tuli
Fei Han
Rong Chen
Fow-Sen Choa
author_facet Sravani Varanasi
Roopan Tuli
Fei Han
Rong Chen
Fow-Sen Choa
author_sort Sravani Varanasi
collection DOAJ
description The study of brain connectivity plays an important role in understanding the functional organizations of the brain. It also helps to identify connectivity signatures that can be used for evaluating neural disorders and monitoring treatment efficacy. In this work, age-related changes in brain connectivity are studied to obtain aging signatures based on various modeling techniques. These include an energy-based machine learning technique to identify brain network interaction differences between two age groups with a large (30 years) age gap between them. Disconnectivity graphs and activation maps of the seven prominent resting-state networks (RSN) were obtained from functional MRI data of old and young adult subjects. Two-sample <i>t</i>-tests were performed on the local minimums with Bonferroni correction to control the family-wise error rate. These local minimums are connectivity states showing not only which brain regions but also how strong they are working together. They work as aging signatures that can be used to differentiate young and old groups. We found that the attention network’s connectivity signature is a state with all the regions working together and young subjects have a stronger average connectivity among these regions. We have also found a common pattern between young and old subjects where the left and right brain regions of the frontal network are sometimes working separately instead of together. In summary, in this work, we combined machine learning and statistical approaches to extract connectivity signatures, which can be utilized to distinguish aging brains and monitor possible treatment efficacy.
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spelling doaj.art-cf44bbb710534da483efdcf61998137e2023-11-16T18:03:34ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-02-01233160310.3390/s23031603Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning TechniquesSravani Varanasi0Roopan Tuli1Fei Han2Rong Chen3Fow-Sen Choa4Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USADepartment of Electrical Engineering, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USAThe Hilltop Institute, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USADepartment of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USADepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USAThe study of brain connectivity plays an important role in understanding the functional organizations of the brain. It also helps to identify connectivity signatures that can be used for evaluating neural disorders and monitoring treatment efficacy. In this work, age-related changes in brain connectivity are studied to obtain aging signatures based on various modeling techniques. These include an energy-based machine learning technique to identify brain network interaction differences between two age groups with a large (30 years) age gap between them. Disconnectivity graphs and activation maps of the seven prominent resting-state networks (RSN) were obtained from functional MRI data of old and young adult subjects. Two-sample <i>t</i>-tests were performed on the local minimums with Bonferroni correction to control the family-wise error rate. These local minimums are connectivity states showing not only which brain regions but also how strong they are working together. They work as aging signatures that can be used to differentiate young and old groups. We found that the attention network’s connectivity signature is a state with all the regions working together and young subjects have a stronger average connectivity among these regions. We have also found a common pattern between young and old subjects where the left and right brain regions of the frontal network are sometimes working separately instead of together. In summary, in this work, we combined machine learning and statistical approaches to extract connectivity signatures, which can be utilized to distinguish aging brains and monitor possible treatment efficacy.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/3/1603brain connectivityenergy landscapefMRIresting state networkmachine learning
spellingShingle Sravani Varanasi
Roopan Tuli
Fei Han
Rong Chen
Fow-Sen Choa
Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning Techniques
Sensors
brain connectivity
energy landscape
fMRI
resting state network
machine learning
title Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning Techniques
title_full Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning Techniques
title_fullStr Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning Techniques
title_full_unstemmed Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning Techniques
title_short Age Related Functional Connectivity Signature Extraction Using Energy-Based Machine Learning Techniques
title_sort age related functional connectivity signature extraction using energy based machine learning techniques
topic brain connectivity
energy landscape
fMRI
resting state network
machine learning
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/3/1603
work_keys_str_mv AT sravanivaranasi agerelatedfunctionalconnectivitysignatureextractionusingenergybasedmachinelearningtechniques
AT roopantuli agerelatedfunctionalconnectivitysignatureextractionusingenergybasedmachinelearningtechniques
AT feihan agerelatedfunctionalconnectivitysignatureextractionusingenergybasedmachinelearningtechniques
AT rongchen agerelatedfunctionalconnectivitysignatureextractionusingenergybasedmachinelearningtechniques
AT fowsenchoa agerelatedfunctionalconnectivitysignatureextractionusingenergybasedmachinelearningtechniques