Deep learning analysis of fMRI data for predicting Alzheimer's Disease: A focus on convolutional neural networks and model interpretability

The early detection of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is thought to be important for effective intervention and management. Here, we explore deep learning methods for the early detection of AD. We consider both genetic risk factors and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. However, we found that the genetic factors do not notably enhance the AD prediction by imaging. Thus, we focus on building an effective imaging-only model. In particular, we utilize data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), employing a 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to analyze fMRI scans. Despite the limitations posed by our dataset (small size and imbalanced nature), our CNN model demonstrates accuracy levels reaching 92.8% and an ROC of 0.95. Our research highlights the complexities inherent in integrating multimodal medical datasets. It also demonstrates the potential of deep learning in medical imaging for AD prediction.