A channel-mixing convolutional neural network for motor imagery EEG decoding and feature visualization

An empirical comparison of deep learning explainability approaches for EEG using simulated ground truth

Recent advancements in machine learning and deep learning (DL) based neural decoders have significantly improved decoding capabilities using scalp electroencephalography (EEG). However, the interpretability of DL models remains an under-explored area. In this study, we compared multiple model explanation methods to identify the most suitable method for EEG and understand when some of these approaches might fail. A simulation framework was developed to evaluate the robustness and sensitivity of twelve back-propagation-based visualization methods by comparing to ground truth features. Multiple methods tested here showed reliability issues after randomizing either model weights or labels: e.g., the saliency approach, which is the most used visualization technique in EEG, was not class or model-specific. We found that DeepLift was consistently accurate as well as robust to detect the three key attributes tested here (temporal, spatial, and spectral precision). Overall, this study provides a review of model explanation methods for DL-based neural decoders and recommendations to understand when some of these methods fail and what they can capture in EEG.

Considerate motion imagination classification method using deep learning

In order to improve the classification accuracy of motion imagination, a considerate motion imagination classification method using deep learning is proposed. Specifically, based on a graph structure suitable for electroencephalography as input, the proposed model can accurately represent the distribution of electroencephalography electrodes in non-Euclidean space and fully consider the spatial correlation between electrodes. In addition, the spatial-spectral-temporal multi-dimensional feature information was extracted from the spatial-temporal graph representation and spatial-spectral graph representation transformed from the original electroencephalography signal using the dual branch architecture. Finally, the attention mechanism and global feature aggregation module were designed and combined with graph convolution to adaptively capture the dynamic correlation intensity and effective feature of electroencephalography signals in various dimensions. A series of contrast experiments and ablation experiments on several different public brain-computer interface datasets demonstrated that the excellence of proposed method. It is worth mentioning that, the proposed model is a general framework for the classification of electroencephalography signals, which is suitable for emotion recognition, sleep staging and other fields based on electroencephalography research. Moreover, the model has the potential to be applied in the medical field of motion imagination rehabilitation in real life.

Image-Based Learning Using Gradient Class Activation Maps for Enhanced Physiological Interpretability of Motor Imagery Skills

Brain activity stimulated by the motor imagery paradigm (MI) is measured by Electroencephalography (EEG), which has several advantages to be implemented with the widely used Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) technology. However, the substantial inter/intra variability of recorded data significantly influences individual skills on the achieved performance. This study explores the ability to distinguish between MI tasks and the interpretability of the brain’s ability to produce elicited mental responses with improved accuracy. We develop a Deep and Wide Convolutional Neuronal Network fed by a set of topoplots extracted from the multichannel EEG data. Further, we perform a visualization technique based on gradient-based class activation maps (namely, GradCam++) at different intervals along the MI paradigm timeline to account for intra-subject variability in neural responses over time. We also cluster the dynamic spatial representation of the extracted maps across the subject set to come to a deeper understanding of MI-BCI coordination skills. According to the results obtained from the evaluated GigaScience Database of motor-evoked potentials, the developed approach enhances the physiological explanation of motor imagery in aspects such as neural synchronization between rhythms, brain lateralization, and the ability to predict the MI onset responses and their evolution during training sessions.