Artificial neural networks algorithms for prediction of human hair loss related autoimmune disorder problem

Abstract

In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are being used to diagnose hair loss in patients. An autoimmune condition known as Alopecia Areata (AA) results in hair loss in the affected area. The most recent figures from throughout the world show that AA affects 1 in 1000 persons and has a 2% incidence rate. Based on the look of photographs with healthy hair in the dataset, machine learning techniques were employed to classify the conditions. Before making predictions, each of these ANNs algorithms creates a prediction model using pictures of healthy hair. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of neural networks for alopecia detection in human subjects. The study presents a classification framework for distinguishing between healthy hairs (HHs) and Alopecia Areata (AA). The framework incorporates Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) enhancement and segmentation techniques to enhance the quality of the images. Additionally, Data Augmentation (DA) is employed to generate additional data and improve the precision of the proposed framework. To extract features from the images, two powerful techniques are utilized. The Visual Geometry Group (VGG), which consists of very deep convolutional networks designed for large-scale image recognition, is employed. VGG networks have proven to be effective in learning complex features directly from data, eliminating the need for manual feature extraction. Additionally, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a deep learning network architecture specifically designed for image processing tasks, is employed. To create a machine learning model for classification, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) approach is utilized. SVM is a widely used algorithm in supervised learning, capable of solving both classification and regression problems. Its versatility and effectiveness make it a suitable choice for the classification task in this study. By combining the CLAHE enhancement, segmentation, data augmentation, feature extraction using VGG and CNN, and classification using SVM, the proposed framework aims to accurately classify HHs and AA cases.