A Robust Deep-Learning Model to Detect Major Depressive Disorder Utilizing EEG Signals

Major depressive disorder (MDD), commonly called depression, is a prevalent psychiatric condition diagnosed via questionnaire-based mental status assessments. However, this method often yields inconsistent and inaccurate results. Furthermore, there is currently a lack of a comprehensive diagnostic framework for MDD that assesses various brainwaves (alpha, theta, gamma, etc.) of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals as potential biomarkers, aiming to identify the most effective one for achieving accurate and robust diagnostic outcomes. To address this issue, we propose an innovative approach employing a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) for MDD diagnosis utilizing the brainwaves present in EEG signals. Our proposed model, an extended 11-layer 1-D convolutional neural network (Ex-1DCNN), is designed to automatically learn from input EEG signals, foregoing the need for manual feature selection. By harnessing intrinsic brainwave patterns, our model demonstrates adaptability in classifying EEG signals into depressive and healthy categories. We have conducted an extensive analysis to identify optimal brainwave features and epoch duration for accurate MDD diagnosis. Leveraging EEG data from 34 MDD patients and 30 healthy subjects, we have identified that the Gamma brainwave at a 15-s epoch duration is the most effective configuration, achieving an accuracy of 99.60%, sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 99.21%, and an F1 score of 99.60%. This study highlights the potential of deep-learning techniques in streamlining the diagnostic process for MDD and offering a reliable aid to clinicians in MDD diagnosis.