Over the next ten years, computer science graduates are poised for extraordinary opportunities, particularly as the baby-boomer generation begins their retirement phase. Acadia University, which consistently ranks in the top three for undergraduate studies in Canada, offers superior degree programs in computer science. Our students receive a comprehensive education in computer science and their interpersonal and team skills are honed through project-oriented courses and cooperative education options.

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Upcoming:

Honours Thesis Defence

Student: Chenuka Gamage

Title: EARLY DETECTION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE USING POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY WITH A 3 DIMENSIONAL CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK

Date and time: Thursday, April 3rd, 9:30 in CAR410.

Teams link: Click here

Abstract:

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is essential, especially given the limitations in medical resources. This thesis explores the use of a 3D Convolutional Neural Network (3D-CNN) for the automated detection of AD using Fludeoxyglucose Possitron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) scans from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). The selected PET scans underwent preprocessing, which included reordering slices, normalizing pixel intensities to the [0,1] range, and resizing volumes to a standardized 64 × 64 × 64 voxel grid. The model was trained and validated on a balanced dataset and evaluated across ten independent test runs, achieving an average accuracy of 71.25% with an average loss of 0.62. The best-performing run reached an accuracy of 78.75% with a loss of 0.5676, demonstrating the model’s ability to capture key metabolic patterns in PET scans. These promising results highlight the potential of 3D CNNs for early AD detection, offering a foundation for further improvements in deep learning-based diagnostic tool.