Sensorineural hearing loss classification via deep-HLNet and few-shot learning

We propose a new method for hearing loss classification from magnetic resonance image (MRI), which can automatically detect tissue-specific features in a given MRI. Sensorineural hearing loss (SHNL) is highly prevalent in our society. Early diagnosis and intervention have a profound impact on patient outcomes. A solution to provide early diagnosis is the use of automated diagnostic systems. In this study, we propose a novel Deep-HLNet framework, based on few-shot learning, for the automated classification of SNHL. This research involves magnetic resonance (MRI) images from 60 participants of three balanced categories: left-sided SNHL, right-sided SNHL, and healthy controls. A convolutional neural network was employed for feature extraction from individual categories, while a neural network and a comparison classifier strategy constituted a tri-classifier for SNHL classification. In terms of experiment results and practicability of the algorithm, the classification performance was significantly better than the standard deep learning methods or other conventional methods, with an overall accuracy of 96.62%.