Exploring Two Novel Features for EEG-based Brain-Computer Interfaces: Multifractal Cumulants and Predictive Complexity

Nicolas Brodu (1) , Fabien Lotte (2, 3) , Anatole Lécuyer (4)

1 LTSI - Laboratoire Traitement du Signal et de l'Image
2 Potioc - Popular interaction with 3d content
3 LaBRI - Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique
4 VR4I - Virtual Reality for Improved Innovative Immersive Interaction

In this paper, we introduce two new features for the design of electroencephalography (EEG) based Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI): one feature based on multifractal cumulants, and one feature based on the predictive complexity of the EEG time series. The multifractal cumulants feature measures the signal regularity, while the predictive complexity measures the difficulty to predict the future of the signal based on its past, hence a degree of how complex it is. We have conducted an evaluation of the performance of these two novel features on EEG data corresponding to motor-imagery. We also compared them to the gold standard features used in the BCI fi eld, namely the Band-Power features. We evaluated these three kinds of features and their combinations on EEG signals from 13 subjects. Results obtained show that our novel features can lead to BCI designs with improved classi cation performance, notably when using and combining the three kinds of feature (band-power, multifractal cumulants, predictive complexity) together.

Domaines: Traitement du signal et de l'image [eess.SP]; Traitement du signal et de l'image [eess.SP]; Dynamique Chaotique [nlin.CD]

Nicolas Brodu, Fabien Lotte, Anatole Lécuyer. Exploring Two Novel Features for EEG-based Brain-Computer Interfaces: Multifractal Cumulants and Predictive Complexity. Neurocomputing, 2012, 79 (1), pp.87-94. ⟨10.1016/j.neucom.2011.10.010⟩. ⟨inria-00632546⟩