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Machine learning accurately classifies neural responses to rhythmic speech vs. non-speech from 8-week-old infant EEG.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Gibbon, Samuel 
Ní Choisdealbha, Áine 
Rocha, Sinead 
Brusini, Perrine 

Abstract

Currently there are no reliable means of identifying infants at-risk for later language disorders. Infant neural responses to rhythmic stimuli may offer a solution, as neural tracking of rhythm is atypical in children with developmental language disorders. However, infant brain recordings are noisy. As a first step to developing accurate neural biomarkers, we investigate whether infant brain responses to rhythmic stimuli can be classified reliably using EEG from 95 eight-week-old infants listening to natural stimuli (repeated syllables or drumbeats). Both Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) approaches were employed. Applied to one infant at a time, the CNN discriminated syllables from drumbeats with a mean AUC of 0.87, against two levels of noise. The SVM classified with AUC 0.95 and 0.86 respectively, showing reduced performance as noise increased. Our proof-of-concept modelling opens the way to the development of clinical biomarkers for language disorders related to rhythmic entrainment.

Description

Keywords

Convolutional Neural Network, Developmental Language Disorders, EEG, Infancy, Machine Learning, Rhythm, Child, Electroencephalography, Humans, Infant, Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Computer, Speech, Support Vector Machine

Journal Title

Brain Lang

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0093-934X
1090-2155

Volume Title

220

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
European Research Council (694786)
ERC