Enhancing Alzheimer's Disease Classification with Transfer Learning: Fine-tuning a Pre-trained Algorithm

Objective The increasing longevity of the population has made Alzheimer's disease (AD) a significant public health concern. However, the challenge of accurately distinguishing different disease stages due to limited variability within the same stage and the potential for errors in manual classification highlights the need for more precise approaches to classifying AD stages. In the field of deep learning, the ResNet50V2 model stands as a testament to its exceptional capabilities in image classification tasks.Materials The dataset employed in this study was sourced from Kaggle and consisted of 6400 MRI images that were meticulously collected and rigorously verified to assure their precision. The selection of images was conducted with great attention to detail, drawing from a diverse array of sources.Methods This study focuses on harnessing the potential of this model for AD classification, a task that relies on extracting disease-specific features. Furthermore, to achieve this, a multi-class classification methodology is employed, using transfer learning and fine-tuning of layers to adapt the pre-trained ResNet50V2 model for AD classification. Notably, the impact of various input layer sizes on model performance is investigated, meticulously striking a balance between capacity and computational efficiency. The optimal fine-tuning strategy is determined by counting layers within convolution blocks and selectively unfreezing and training individual layers after a designated layer index, ensuring consistency and reproducibility. Custom classification layers, dynamic learning rate reduction, and extensive visualization techniques are incorporated.Results The model's performance is evaluated using accuracy, AUC, precision, recall, F1-score, and ROC curves. The comprehensive analysis reveals the model's ability to discriminate between AD stages. Visualization through confusion matrices aided in understanding model behavior. The rounded predicted labels enhanced practical utility.Conclusion This approach combined empirical research and iterative refinement, resulting in enhanced accuracy and reliability in AD classification. Our model holds promise for real-world applications, achieving an accuracy of 96.18%, showcasing the potential of deep learning in addressing complex medical challenges.