Validation of automated hippocampus volume assessment using deep learning convolutional neural networks in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

Background Dementia is a spectrum of diseases characterised by a progressive and irreversible decline in cognitive function. Appropriate tools and references are essential for evaluating individuals’ cognitive levels, especially hippocampal volume as it is the commonly used biomarker in detecting Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is important to note that while there is no cure for dementia, early intervention and support can greatly improve the lives of those affected. Method Ongoing research is being conducted to develop new treatments and improve our understanding of the disease by using VBM to compare sensitivity and specificity with the HippoDeep toolbox. Result We were able to validate AD’s hippocampal volume compared to age-matched healthy controls (HC) based on HippoDeep Model by comparing it with VBM as the reference standard. Conclusion There are significant differences between hippocampal volume in AD and HC that have been detected using VBM and HippoDeep analysis. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This research was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2019/SKK03/UPM/02/4) and project code: 04‐01‐19‐2119FR and project number 5540244 that was awarded to Associate Professor Dr. Subapriya Suppiah (Geran Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi, Malaysia, nombor kod rujukan FRGS/1/2019/SKK03/UPM/02/4 dengan nombor projek 5540244) ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC) of the National Medical Registration Registry (NMRR) Malaysia (NMRR-19-2719-49105) and the Ethics Committee for Research Involving Human Subjects of Universiti Putra Malaysia (JKEUPM-2019-328). I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors