Person identification from the EEG using nonlinear signal classification.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This paper focusses on the person identification problem based on features extracted from the ElectroEncephaloGram (EEG). A bilinear rather than a purely linear model is fitted on the EEG signal, prompted by the existence of non-linear components in the EEG signal--a conjecture already investigated in previous research works. The novelty of the present work lies in the comparison between the linear and the bilinear results, obtained from real field EEG data, aiming towards identification of healthy subjects rather than classification of pathological cases for diagnosis. METHODS: The EEG signal of a, in principle, healthy individual is processed via (non)linear (AR, bilinear) methods and classified by an artificial neural network classifier. RESULTS: Experiments performed on real field data show that utilization of the bilinear model parameters as features improves correct classification scores at the cost of increased complexity and computations. Results are seen to be statistically significant at the 99.5% level of significance, via the chi 2 test for contingency. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained in the present study further corroborate existing research, which shows evidence that the EEG carries individual-specific information, and that it can be successfully exploited for purposes of person identification and authentication.