Amide proton transfer MRI-based radiomic signatures for molecular subgrouping of pediatric medulloblastoma

Motivation: Medulloblastoma (MB) is classified into different molecular (WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4) subgroups. Accurate identification of molecular subgroups provides clinical value to the diagnosis of MB. Goal(s): We aim to combine APT MRI and radiomic analysis to establish signatures for distinguishing molecular subgroups of pediatric medulloblastoma. Approach: Fifty newly diagnosed pediatric patients with medulloblastoma were enrolled in this study. Radiomic features were extracted from APT-related metrics to differentiate MB subgroups. Results: APT MRI-based radiomic signatures exhibited favorable performance in identifying WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 subgroups with AUCs ≥ 0.91. Impact: Our research findings demonstrate that amide proton transfer MRI-based radiomic analysis offers a noninvasive and cost-effective method to distinguish molecular subgroups and holds great potential in providing valuable clinical insights for the diagnosis of pediatric medulloblastoma patients.