PurposeTo provide a simulation framework for routine neuroimaging test data, which allows for “stress testing” of deep segmentation networks against acquisition shifts that commonly occur in clinical practice for T2 weighted (T2w) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging protocols.ApproachThe approach simulates “acquisition shift derivatives” of MR images based on MR signal equations. Experiments comprise the validation of the simulated images by real MR scans and example stress tests on state-of-the-art multiple sclerosis lesion segmentation networks to explore a generic model function to describe the F1 score in dependence of the contrast-affecting sequence parameters echo time (TE) and inversion time (TI).ResultsThe differences between real and simulated images range up to 19% in gray and white matter for extreme parameter settings. For the segmentation networks under test, the F1 score dependency on TE and TI can be well described by quadratic model functions (R2>0.9). The coefficients of the model functions indicate that changes of TE have more influence on the model performance than TI.ConclusionsWe show that these deviations are in the range of values as may be caused by erroneous or individual differences in relaxation times as described by literature. The coefficients of the F1 model function allow for a quantitative comparison of the influences of TE and TI. Limitations arise mainly from tissues with a low baseline signal (like cerebrospinal fluid) and when the protocol contains contrast-affecting measures that cannot be modeled due to missing information in the DICOM header.
Recently published guidelines recommend the validation of models for medical image processing against variations of image acquisition parameters. This work presents a novel concept for systematic tests that investigate a model’s performance to MRI acquisition shifts in brain scans of multiple sclerosis patients. Contrast changes of T2-weighted FLAIR images related to changes of two scan parameters (TE, TI) are simulated using artificial data. These images were created from 114 brain MRI, normal tissue segmentation masks and expert MS lesion masks (NAMIC, OpenMS, MSSEG2, ISBI15, LC08). Contrast changes were simulated by using the FLAIR signal equation. The experiments evaluate the F1 scores of models trained on images based on different uniform and non-uniform acquisition parameters when tested on typical acquisition parameter shifts. The acquisition parameter variations of the experiments are based on guidelines for quality assurance and the analysis of protocols and images from different institutions and open datasets. The dependence of the F1 score on both parameters could be approximated by linear functions with R2 scores of 0.94 to 0.98. Thus, linear functions can be used to model the dependence of the F1 score on the influencing factors, thereby allowing for the derivation of a "save" range of image acquisition parameters to meet a desired performance metric. The segmentation model was more sensitive to changes in TE compared to TI. The maximum lesion F1 loss when applying the models to out-of-distribution data ranged from 0.04 to 0.36 and was significant in all the experiments, even when the model was trained on data representing scans of different contrast (p<0.01). This underlines the need for testing segmentation models against acquisition shifts.
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