AUTHOR=Yuan Xinyan , Wei Shaolong , Sun Ying , Gu Lingling , He Yanyan , Chen Tiantian , Yao Hongcheng , Rao Haonan 

TITLE=Robust multi-task feature selection with counterfactual explanation for schizophrenia identification using functional brain networks

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 19 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1609547

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2025.1609547

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=IntroductionFunctional brain networks measured by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have become a promising tool for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying schizophrenia (SZ). However, the high dimensionality of these networks and small sample sizes pose significant challenges for effective classification and model generalization.MethodsWe propose a robust multi-task feature selection method combined with counterfactual explanations to improve the accuracy and interpretability of SZ identification. rs-fMRI data are preprocessed to construct a functional connectivity matrix, and features are extracted by sorting the upper triangular elements. A multi-task feature selection framework based on the Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO) is developed to identify abnormal functional connectivity (FC) features in SZ patients. A counterfactual explanation model is applied to reduce perturbations in abnormal FC features, returning the model prediction to normal and enhancing clinical interpretability.ResultsOur method was tested on five real-world SZ datasets. The results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms existing methods in terms of classification accuracy while offering new insights into the analysis of SZ through improved feature selection and explanation.DiscussionThe integration of multi-task feature selection and counterfactual explanation improves both the accuracy and interpretability of SZ identification. This approach provides valuable clinical insights by revealing the key functional connectivity features associated with SZ, which could assist in the development of more effective diagnostic tools.