Computational basis for risk stratification of peripheral neuropathy from thermal imaging.
The goal of this paper is to present a computer-based system for analyzing thermal images in the detection of preclinical stages of peripheral neuropathy (PN) or diabetic foot. Today, vibration perception threshold (VPT) and sensory tests with a monofilament are used as simple, noninvasive methods for identifying patients who have lost sensation in their feet. These tests are qualitative and are ineffective in stratifying risk for PN in a diabetic patient. In our system a cold stimulus applied to the foot causes a thermoregulatory and corresponding microcirculation response of the foot. A thermal video monitors the recovery of the microcirculation in the foot plantar. Thermal videos for 8 age-matched subjects were analyzed. Six sites were tracked and an average thermal emittance calculated. Characteristics of the recovery curve were extracted using coefficients from an exponential curve fitting process and compared among subjects. The magnitude of the recovery was significantly different for the two classes of subjects. Our system shows evidence of differences between both groups, which could lead to a quantitative test to screen and diagnose peripheral neuropathy.
VisionQuest Biomedical LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106, USA. sbarriga@visionquest-bio.com
E Simon
ES
Barriga
Viktor
V
Chekh
Cesar
C
Carranza
Mark R
MR
Burge
Ana
A
Edwards
Elizabeth
E
McGrew
Gilberto
G
Zamora
Peter
P
Soliz
D000368:Aged; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*; D014741:Video Recording