Machine learning and clinical EEG data for multiple sclerosis: A systematic review

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers, leading to a wide range of debilitating symptoms and causing disruption of axonal signal transmission. Accurate prediction, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment (PDMT) of MS are essential to improve patient outcomes. Recent advances in neuroimaging technologies, particularly electroencephalography (EEG), combined with machine learning (ML) techniques — including Deep Learning (DL) models — offer promising avenues for enhancing MS management. This systematic review synthesizes existing research on the application of ML and DL models to EEG data for MS. It explores the methodologies used, with a focus on DL architectures such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and hybrid models, and highlights recent advancements in ML techniques and EEG technologies that have significantly improved MS diagnosis and monitoring. The review addresses the challenges and potential biases in using ML-based EEG analysis for MS. Strategies to mitigate these challenges, including advanced preprocessing techniques, diverse training datasets, cross-validation methods, and explainable Artificial Intelligence (AI), are discussed. Finally, the paper outlines potential future applications and trends in ML for MS management. This review underscores the transformative potential of ML-enhanced EEG analysis in improving MS management, providing insights into future research directions to overcome existing limitations and further improve clinical practice.