Remembered or Forgotten?-An EEG-Based Computational Prediction Approach

PLoS One. 2016 Dec 14;11(12):e0167497. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167497. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Prediction of memory performance (remembered or forgotten) has various potential applications not only for knowledge learning but also for disease diagnosis. Recently, subsequent memory effects (SMEs)-the statistical differences in electroencephalography (EEG) signals before or during learning between subsequently remembered and forgotten events-have been found. This finding indicates that EEG signals convey the information relevant to memory performance. In this paper, based on SMEs we propose a computational approach to predict memory performance of an event from EEG signals. We devise a convolutional neural network for EEG, called ConvEEGNN, to predict subsequently remembered and forgotten events from EEG recorded during memory process. With the ConvEEGNN, prediction of memory performance can be achieved by integrating two main stages: feature extraction and classification. To verify the proposed approach, we employ an auditory memory task to collect EEG signals from scalp electrodes. For ConvEEGNN, the average prediction accuracy was 72.07% by using EEG data from pre-stimulus and during-stimulus periods, outperforming other approaches. It was observed that signals from pre-stimulus period and those from during-stimulus period had comparable contributions to memory performance. Furthermore, the connection weights of ConvEEGNN network can reveal prominent channels, which are consistent with the distribution of SME studied previously.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Algorithms
  • Brain Mapping
  • Computers, Molecular
  • Electroencephalography*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning / physiology
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology
  • Mental Recall / physiology*
  • Neural Networks, Computer
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This work is supported by National Key Basic Research Program of China (2013CB329504) (http://www.973.gov.cn/English/Index.aspx), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LR15F020001) (http://www.zjnsf.gov.cn/), and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-13-0521) (http://www.moe.gov.cn/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.