AUTHOR=Sonntag Justin , Yu Lin , Wang Xilu , Schack Thomas 

TITLE=Neurophysiological predictors of deep learning based unilateral upper limb motor imagery classification

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 19 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1617748

DOI=10.3389/fnhum.2025.1617748

ISSN=1662-5161

ABSTRACT=IntroductionMotor imagery-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are a technique for decoding and classifying the intention of motor execution, solely based on imagined (rather than executed) movements. Although deep learning techniques have increased the potential of BCIs, the complexity of decoding unilateral upper limb motor imagery remains challenging. To understand whether neurophysiological features, which are directly related to neural mechanisms of motor imagery, might influence classification accuracy, most studies have largely leveraged traditional machine learning frameworks, leaving deep learning-based techniques underexplored.MethodsIn this work, three different deep learning models from the literature (EEGNet, FBCNet, NFEEG) and two common spatial pattern-based machine learning classifiers (SVM, LDA) were used to classify imagined right elbow flexion and extension from participants using electroencephalography data. From two recorded resting states (eyes-open, eyes-closed), absolute and relative alpha and beta power of the frontal, fronto-central and central electrodes were used to predict the accuracy of the different classifiers.ResultsThe prediction of classifier accuracies by neurophysiological features revealed negative correlations between the relative alpha band and classifier accuracies and positive correlations between the absolute and relative beta band and classifiers accuracies. Most ipsilateral EEG channels yielded significant correlations with classifier accuracies, especially for the machine learning classifier.DiscussionThis pattern contrasts with previous findings from bilateral MI paradigms, where contralateral alpha and beta activity were more influential. These inverted correlations suggest task-specific neurophysiological mechanisms in unilateral MI, emphasizing the role of ipsilateral inhibition and attentional processes.