Differentiation Between Multiple Sclerosis And Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Using A Deep Learning Model

This study evaluated patients who visited the neurology outpatient clinic of Samsung Medical Center between May 2016 and May 2020. Patients were enrolled if they had MS or NMOSD, and their diagnosis was performed by two experienced neurologists according to the 2017 McDonald criteria or the international consensus diagnostic criteria for NMOSD, respectively. We developed a compact deep learning model based on FLAIR brain MRI data with the ability to differentiate MS from NMOSD. This model, using the Grad-CAM approach, differentiated between MS and NMOSD based on white matter lesions. Preprocessing operations were also performed on the images to improve their quality and make statistical analysis more repeatable and comparable.