# Bidirectional Brain Image Translation using Transfer Learning from Generic Pre-trained Models

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.12488 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.12488/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 9 of its 41 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 21 Jan 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 9 of 9)

- [Not-so-supervised: a survey of semi-supervised, multi-instance, and transfer learning in medical image analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.06353/) (2018)
- [Medical Image Synthesis with Context-Aware Generative Adversarial Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1612.05362/) (2016)
- [Transfer Learning in Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging: a Systematic Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.01530/) (2021)
- [CyTran: A Cycle-Consistent Transformer with Multi-Level Consistency for Non-Contrast to Contrast CT Translation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.06400/) (2021)
- [Latent Space Model for Higher-order Networks and Generalized Tensor Decomposition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.16042/) (2021)
- [A Transfer Learning Based Active Learning Framework for Brain Tumor Classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.09265/) (2020)
- [Predictive modeling of brain tumor: A Deep learning approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.02265/) (2019)
- [DC-cycleGAN: Bidirectional CT-to-MR Synthesis from Unpaired Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.01293/) (2022)
- [Deepfake Image Generation for Improved Brain Tumor Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.14273/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Brain imaging plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological disorders, providing valuable insights into the structure and function of the brain. Techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) enable non-invasive visualization of the brain, aiding in the understanding of brain anatomy, abnormalities, and functional connectivity. However, cost and radiation dose may limit the acquisition of specific image modalities, so medical image synthesis can be used to generate required medical images without actual addition. In the medical domain, where obtaining labeled medical images is labor-intensive and expensive, addressing data scarcity is a major challenge. Recent studies propose using transfer learning to overcome this issue. This involves adapting pre-trained CycleGAN models, initially trained on non-medical data, to generate realistic medical images. In this work, transfer learning was applied to the task of MR-CT image translation and vice versa using 18 pre-trained non-medical models, and the models were fine-tuned to have the best result. The models' performance was evaluated using four widely used image quality metrics: Peak-signal-to-noise-ratio, Structural Similarity Index, Universal Quality Index, and Visual Information Fidelity. Quantitative evaluation and qualitative perceptual analysis by radiologists demonstrate the potential of transfer learning in medical imaging and the effectiveness of the generic pre-trained model. The results provide compelling evidence of the model's exceptional performance, which can be attributed to the high quality and similarity of the training images to actual human brain images. These results underscore the significance of carefully selecting appropriate and representative training images to optimize performance in brain image analysis tasks.