Grant: Canadian Lung Association Research Studentship

No prior studies have investigated texture-based delta radiomics analysis in inspiration-expiration images in COPD. Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide, affecting both developed and developing countries. There is no cure for this disease, making early intervention key for improved patient management. Our project aims to determine if measurements that represent the texture of inspiration-expiration computed tomography (CT) images are better at detecting lung disease on CT images compared to more complex established mechanical lung stress measures. Registration of CT images takes two images and transforms them into the same coordinate system. Currently, a measurement called the Jacobian uses image registration from inspiration and expiration images to represent biomechanical lung stress (how easy it is to stretch and compress the lung tissue). However, image registration is a time consuming and difficult process. Radiomics is a biomarker that represents the texture of an image (if it is smooth or bumpy) that does not need image registration. We can use radiomics extracted from inspiration and expiration images and subtract the values to obtain a texture-based delta radiomics measurement. We will compare the Jacobian and delta radiomics measurements to determine which one is better at detecting structural changes on CT images. The findings in this study may demonstrate that texture-based delta radiomics derived from inspiration-expiration images can provide additional information related to local lung structural changes and aid in the understanding of the complex pathophysiology and heterogeneity of COPD. This knowledge is important to our understanding of COPD and may help guide the development of new biomarkers that can be translated to a clinical setting in order to enable earlier disease diagnosis and treatment management, and ultimately improve health outcomes for individuals at risk of and living with lung diseases in Canada, and worldwide.