GloResNet: A lightweight 3D CNN with global topological features for preterm brain injury prediction

This study introduces an automated deep learning framework for predicting brain injury (BI) in preterm infants from T2-weighted MRI (dHCP dataset). We propose GloResNet, a lightweight 3D CNN based on ResNet-10, pretrained on MedicalNet to address data scarcity. A global manifold mapping strategy first resamples each 3D volume to 128x128x128 and then applies subject-wise z-score intensity normalization, thereby preserving global topology while standardizing appearance. Training integrates mixup, class weighting, and test-time augmentation for robustness. In 5-fold cross-validation, GloResNet achieved 75.18% average accuracy (peak 81.82%), with specificity 0.81 and sensitivity 0.76. Results demonstrate that a topology-aware lightweight CNN has the capability to effectively predict neonatal BI, offering a non-invasive screening tool. The source code of this paper can be obtained from the GitHub repository: https://github.com/ICL-SUST/GloResNet-Preterm-Brain

Deep learning-based neurodevelopmental assessment in preterm infants

Preterm infants (born between 28 and 37 weeks of gestation) face elevated risks of neurodevelopmental delays, making early identification crucial for timely intervention. While deep learning-based volumetric segmentation of brain MRI scans offers a promising avenue for assessing neonatal neurodevelopment, achieving accurate segmentation of white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in preterm infants remains challenging due to their comparable signal intensities (isointense appearance) on MRI during early brain development. To address this, we propose a novel segmentation neural network, named Hierarchical Dense Attention Network. Our architecture incorporates a 3D spatial-channel attention mechanism combined with an attention-guided dense upsampling strategy to enhance feature discrimination in low-contrast volumetric data. Quantitative experiments demonstrate that our method achieves superior segmentation performance compared to state-of-the-art baselines, effectively tackling the challenge of isointense tissue differentiation. Furthermore, application of our algorithm confirms that WM and GM volumes in preterm infants are significantly lower than those in term infants, providing additional imaging evidence of the neurodevelopmental delays associated with preterm birth. The code is available at: https://github.com/ICL-SUST/HDAN.