Deep sr-DDL: Deep structurally regularized dynamic dictionary learning to integrate multimodal and dynamic functional connectomics data for multidimensional clinical characterizations

We propose a novel integrated framework that jointly models complementary information from resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) connectivity and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography to extract biomarkers of brain connectivity predictive of behavior. Our framework couples a generative model of the connectomics data with a deep network that predicts behavioral scores. The generative component is a structurally-regularized Dynamic Dictionary Learning (sr-DDL) model that decomposes the dynamic rs-fMRI correlation matrices into a collection of shared basis networks and time varying subject-specific loadings. We use the DTI tractography to regularize this matrix factorization and learn anatomically informed functional connectivity profiles. The deep component of our framework is an LSTM-ANN block, which uses the temporal evolution of the subject-specific srDDL loadings to predict multidimensional clinical characterizations. Our joint optimization strategy collectively estimates the basis networks, the subject-specific time-varying loadings, and the neural network weights. We validate our framework on a dataset of neurotypical individuals from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) database to map to cognition and on a separate multi-score prediction task on individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a five-fold cross validation setting. Our hybrid model outperforms several state-ofthe-art approaches at clinical outcome prediction and learns interpretable multimodal neural signatures of brain organization.

Automated summary

The framework combines rs-fMRI connectivity and DTI tractography data to extract biomarkers predictive of behavior, using a generative model of connectomics data and a deep network to predict behavioral scores. Joint optimization strategy estimates basis networks, subject-specific loadings, and neural network weights. The hybrid model outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in clinical outcome prediction and learns interpretable multimodal neural signatures of brain organization.