On January the 20th, The Mind Research Network and IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society hosted a talk by Dr. Constantinos S. Pattichis, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus, Cyprus on Multiscale Amplitude-Modulation Frequency-Modulation (AM-FM)Texture Analysis of Multiple Sclerosis in Brain MRI Images

This presentation introduced the use of multiscale amplitude modulation-frequency modulation (AM-FM) texture analysis of multiple sclerosis (MS) using magnetic resonance (MR) images from brain. The motivation for this work is that clinically, there is interest in identifying potential associations between lesion texture and disease progression, and in relating texture features with relevant clinical indexes, such as the expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Dr. Pattichis’ talk presented results from a longitudinal study that explored the application of 2-D AM-FM analysis of brain white matter MS lesions to quantify and monitor disease load.

To this end, MS lesions and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) from MS patients, as well as normal white matter (NWM) from healthy volunteers, were segmented on transverse T2-weighted images obtained from serial brain MR imaging (MRI) scans (0 and 6-12 months). The instantaneous amplitude (IA), the magnitude of the instantaneous frequency (IF), and the IF angle were extracted from each segmented region at different scales. The findings suggest that AM-FM characteristics succeed in differentiating 1) between NWM and lesions; 2) between NAWM and lesions; and 3) between NWM and NAWM. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier succeeded in differentiating between patients that, two years after the initial MRI scan, acquired an EDSS ? 2 from those with EDSS 2 (correct classification rate = 86%). The best classification results were obtained from including the combination of the low-scale IA and IF magnitude with the medium-scale IA. The AM-FM features provide complementary information to classical texture analysis features like the gray-scale median, contrast, and coarseness. The findings of this study provide evidence that AM-FM features may have a potential role as surrogate markers of lesion load in MS.

Dr. Marios Pattichis, Professor at the ECE Department at UNM introducing his brother, Dr. Constantinos Pattichis.

Dr. Constanstinos Pattichis at the beginning of this talk on AM-FM.

Currently, Dr. Pattichis is a Professor with the Department of Computer Science of the University of Cyprus. His research interests include ehealth and mhealth, medical imaging, biosignal analysis, life sciences informatics, and intelligent systems. He has published 90 refereed journal and 200 conference papers, and 27 chapters in books in these areas. He is Co-Editor of the books M-Health: Emerging Mobile Health Systems, and of the Ultrasound and Carotid Bifurcation Atherosclerosis, published by Springer in 2006, and 2012 respectively. He was Guest Co-Editor of 14 journal Special Issues including the more recent ones on Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Health Informatics, and Citizen Centered e-Health Systems in a Global Health-care Environment, of the IEEE Trans. on Information Technology in Biomedicine. He was General Co-Chairman of the IEEE 12th International Conference on BioInformatics and BioEngineering (BIBE2012), and the IEEE Information Technology in Biomedicine (ITAB09). Moreover, he serves as Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE EMBS, an Associate Editor of the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. He is a Fellow of IET, and Senior Member of IEEE.

We will be announcing new EMBS-sponsored talks.

Thank you.

Gilberto (Chair)