Single-Source and Multi-Source Cross-Subject Transfer Based on Domain Adaptation Algorithms for EEG Classification

Rito Clifford Maswanganyi (), Chunling Tu, Pius Adewale Owolawi and Shengzhi Du
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Rito Clifford Maswanganyi: Department of Computer Systems Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa
Chunling Tu: Department of Computer Systems Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa
Pius Adewale Owolawi: Department of Computer Systems Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa
Shengzhi Du: Department of Electrical Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0002, South Africa

Mathematics, 2025, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-40

Abstract: Transfer learning (TL) has been employed in electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) to enhance performance for cross-session and cross-subject EEG classification. However, domain shifts coupled with a low signal-to-noise ratio between EEG recordings have been demonstrated to contribute to significant variations in EEG neural dynamics from session to session and subject to subject. Critical factors—such as mental fatigue, concentration, and physiological and non-physiological artifacts—can constitute the immense domain shifts seen between EEG recordings, leading to massive inter-subject variations. Consequently, such variations increase the distribution shifts across the source and target domains, in turn weakening the discriminative knowledge of classes and resulting in poor cross-subject transfer performance. In this paper, domain adaptation algorithms, including two machine learning (ML) algorithms, are contrasted based on the single-source-to-single-target (STS) and multi-source-to-single-target (MTS) transfer paradigms, mainly to mitigate the challenge of immense inter-subject variations in EEG neural dynamics that lead to poor classification performance. Afterward, we evaluate the effect of the STS and MTS transfer paradigms on cross-subject transfer performance utilizing three EEG datasets. In this case, to evaluate the effect of STS and MTS transfer schemes on classification performance, domain adaptation algorithms (DAA)—including ML algorithms implemented through a traditional BCI—are compared, namely, manifold embedded knowledge transfer (MEKT), multi-source manifold feature transfer learning (MMFT), k-nearest neighbor (K-NN), and Naïve Bayes (NB). The experimental results illustrated that compared to traditional ML methods, DAA can significantly reduce immense variations in EEG characteristics, in turn resulting in superior cross-subject transfer performance. Notably, superior classification accuracies (CAs) were noted when MMFT was applied, with mean CAs of 89% and 83% recorded, while MEKT recorded mean CAs of 87% and 76% under the STS and MTS transfer paradigms, respectively.

Keywords: brain–computer interface; BCI; electroencephalogram; EEG; domain adaptation; inter-subject variation; transfer learning; single-source to single-target; STS; multi-source to single-target; MTS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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