# Neural network analysis of pharyngeal sounds can detect obstructive upper respiratory disease in brachycephalic dogs

## TL;DR

A neural network model can detect breathing issues in short-faced dogs using sound analysis, helping improve diagnosis and treatment.

## Contribution

A novel recurrent neural network model for automatic detection and grading of stertor in brachycephalic dogs with BOAS.

## Key findings

- The model achieved an AUC of 0.85, sensitivity of 71%, and specificity of 86% in detecting clinically significant BOAS.
- The model was trained on a new dataset of 665 labeled laryngeal sound recordings from 341 dogs.
- The algorithm could enable widespread BOAS screening by owners and veterinarians.

## Abstract

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is a highly prevalent respiratory disease affecting popular short-faced dog breeds such as Pugs and French bulldogs. BOAS causes significant morbidity, leading to poor exercise tolerance, sleep disorders and a shortened lifespan. Despite its severity, the disease is commonly missed by owners or disregarded by veterinary practitioners. A key clinical sign of BOAS is stertor, a low-frequency snoring sound. In recent years, a functional grading scheme has been introduced to semi-objectively grade BOAS based on the presence of stertor and other abnormal signs. However, correctly grading stertor requires significant experience and adding an objective component would aid accuracy and repeatability. This study proposes a recurrent neural network model to automatically detect and grade stertor in laryngeal electronic stethoscope recordings. The model is developed using a novel dataset of 665 labelled recordings taken from 341 dogs with diverse BOAS clinical signs. Evaluated via nested cross validation, the neural network predicts the presence of clinically significant BOAS with an area under the receiving operating characteristic of 0.85, an operating sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 86%. The algorithm could enable widespread screening for BOAS to be conducted by both owners and veterinarians, improving treatment and breeding decisions.