Apparatus and method for providing alzheimer's diagnosis assistance information using mri and pet imaging

A computer program that is stored in a non-transitory storage medium and executed in a computer including a processor, the computer program causing the computer to execute:

• (a) obtaining a brain image of a living subject's brain via said one or more image acquisition devices, said one or more image acquisition devices configured to transmit said brain image to said apparatus;
• (b) calculating a standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) for each of divided regions obtained by dividing a brain region of a brain image of a subject for diagnosis into a plurality of predefined anatomical regions;
• (c) obtaining a standard value by mapping the standardized uptake value ratio of each divided region to a standard interval defined in advance for each divided region;
• and
• (d) outputting the standard value of each divided region together with statistical information about an average standard value of a comparison group for each divided region,
• wherein the standard value represents a degree of proximity of the standardized uptake value ratio to an average value of standardized uptake value ratios of a group of Alzheimer's patients and an average value of standardized uptake value ratios of a normal group,
• wherein the standard interval is defined by setting, as both ends of a regular interval, the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the group of the Alzheimer's patients and the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the normal group for a region corresponding to each of the plurality of divided regions,
• wherein the standard interval is an interval generated by transforming the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the normal group to correspond to 0 according to a predetermined transformation formula, and transforming the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the group of the Alzheimer's patients to correspond to a predetermined number greater than 0 according to the transformation formula, and the standard value of the subject is obtained by transforming the standardized uptake value ratio according to the transformation formula,
• wherein in the step (c), the computer program causing the computer to further execute:
• outputting a pair of values as large as a predefined value and small as a predefined value from the average standard value of the comparison group together with the standard value as a graph, for each divided region,
• displaying a proportion of divided regions where the standard value is located between the pair of values of the comparison group or a proportion of divided regions where the standard value deviates from the pair of values of the comparison group together with the graph, and
• outputting a degree of agreement between a graph obtained by connecting the standard values and a graph obtained by connecting the average standard values of the comparison group together with the graph, for the divided regions.

A system for providing Alzheimer's diagnosis assistance information, comprising:

• one or more image acquisition devices in communication with an apparatus, said one or more image acquisition devices configured to obtain a brain image of a living subject's brain and transmit said brain image to an apparatus, wherein said apparatus comprises:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory for storing predetermined instructions, wherein
• the processor is configured to, when executing the instructions stored in the memory:
• (a) calculate a standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) for each of divided regions obtained by dividing a brain region of said brain image for diagnosis into a plurality of predefined anatomical regions;
• (b) obtain a standard value by mapping the standardized uptake value ratio of each divided region to a standard interval defined in advance for each divided region;
• and
• (c) output the standard value of each divided region together with statistical information about an average standard value of a comparison group for each divided region,
• wherein the standard value represents a degree of proximity of the standardized uptake value ratio to an average value of standardized uptake value ratios of a group of Alzheimer's patients and an average value of standardized uptake value ratios of a normal group,
• wherein the standard interval is defined by setting, as both ends of a regular interval, the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the group of the Alzheimer's patients and the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the normal group for a region corresponding to each of the plurality of divided regions,
• wherein the standard interval is an interval generated by transforming the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the normal group to correspond to 0 according to a predetermined transformation formula, and transforming the average value of the standardized uptake value ratios of the group of the Alzheimer's patients to correspond to a predetermined number greater than 0 according to the transformation formula, and the standard value of the subject is obtained by transforming the standardized uptake value ratio according to the transformation formula,
• wherein in the step (c), the processor is further configured to
• output a pair of values as large as a predefined value and small as a predefined value from the average standard value of the comparison group together with the standard value as a graph, for each divided region,
• display a proportion of divided regions where the standard value is located between the pair of values of the comparison group or a proportion of divided regions where the standard value deviates from the pair of values of the comparison group together with the graph, and
• output a degree of agreement between a graph obtained by connecting the standard values and a graph obtained by connecting the average standard values of the comparison group together with the graph, for the divided regions.