A neural network-based classification model for partial epilepsy by EEG signals

Epilepsy is a disorder of cortical excitability and still an important medical problem. The correct diagnosis of a patient's epilepsy syndrome clarifies the choice of drug treatment and also allows an accurate assessment of prognosis in many cases. The aim of this study is to evaluate epileptic patients and classify subgroups of partial epilepsy by Multilayer Perceptron Neural Networks (MLPNNs). This is the first study to classify the partial epilepsy groups using the neural network according to EEG signals. 418 patients with epilepsy diagnoses according to International League against Epilepsy (ILAE, 1981) were included in this study. The epilepsy outpatients at the Neurology Department Clinic of Cukurova University Medical School between the years of 20022005 were examined and included in the study. The MLPNNs were trained by the parameters obtained from the EEG signals and clinical findings of the patients. Test results show that the MLPNN model is able to classify partial epilepsy with an accuracy of 91.5%. Moreover, new MLPNNs were constructed for determining significant variables on classification. The loss of consciousness in the course of seizure time variable caused the largest decrease in the classification accuracy when it was left out. In conclusion, we think that the classification performance of MLPNN model for partial epilepsy is satisfactory and this model may be used in clinical studies as a decision support tool to determine the partial epilepsy classification of the patients. © 2008 World Scientific Publishing Company