1995 IEEE-EMBC and CMBEC

heme 4 Signal Processing

NEURO-FUZZY RECOGNITION OF K-COMPLEXES

IN SLEEP EEG SIGNALS
V. Pohl, E.Fahr
Institute for Automation and Technical Computer Sciences
Berufsakademie Ravensburg, Hoflrammerstr. 40,88069 Tettimg, Germany
ABSTRACT
A new pattern recognition procedure is introduced for the
automatic detection of Kamplexes in EEG sleep
polygraphies employing fuzzy logic and neural networks.
The developed detection system was implemented in C,
supplying a hardware-independent solution with a very rapid
recognition of the Kamplexes. With the aid of the
determined Kcomplexes and detected sleep spindles, the
respective stage 2 in the sleep polygraphy can be evaluated
directly fiom the EEG signal and visualized. This represents
a significant criterion for the objective assessment of a
patients sleep quality.

compressed, reqxctively, and made available to the Neuro

Detector. The Neuro Fuzzy Detector consists of separate
fuzzy and neuro modules, which are able to detect Kcomplexes independently of each other. The special feature
of the intelligent detecror lies in the coupling of both
systems, whereby the iuicy module acting as a predectector,
supplies a rough and rapid recognition of the Kamplexes
and the neuro module tak.es over their exact evaluation. The
assessment of the concentration of the detected Koomplexes
and the sleep spindles denermined in one interval, leads to a
direct recognition of sleep stage 2, Figure 1.

INTRODUCTION
For several decades now, disturbed sleep has no longer been
considered as a disturbance of ones state of health, but has
been taken seriously due to the restrictions in social and
professional functionability caused by it. In order to assess
the quality of sleep, one needs to record the sleep structure as
exactly as possible, i.e., the dynamic, partly repetitive
sequence of different stages of sleep. These stages are mainly
characterized by electro-encephalographic (EEG) phenomena and in recent years, tremendous advances have
been made to determine these sleep stages automatically by
computer [l]. The tkct that the automatic deter
tion of
the sleep stages using conventional methods has been
unsatisfactory up until now, is mainly due to the transient
phenomena of the EEG, like the Kcomplexes, which are
characteristic for light sleep (stage 2) [2]. contrary to this,
the application of intelligent systems such as ~~IZZY
logic and
neural networks shows a safe and reliable recognition of the
signal patterns [3$[4].
METHOD
An intelligent detection system has been developed for
determining significant EEG patsems and sleep stages,
comprising the software modules the signal preprocessing
module and the Nemo Fuzzy Detector [3]. Using the signal
preprocessing module, the original data are filtered or

;! NeumFuzzy-Detector i
Figure I : Neuro-Fwzzy Detectorfor determining
K-complexes and sleep stage 2.
The Fuzzy Detector works with the linguistic input
variables, signal activity, maximum and extreme value
Merence, which consist of two s shaped fuzzy sets in each
case. The linguistic output variable shows the level of
detection, which is formed fiom the so-called singletons
high and low levels of detection. Through the
implementation of the singleton detection levels, a very rapid
detection of the Kamplexes is attained. The inference
machine works with a modified MAX-MIN inference and
for the defuzzification, ithe COM procedure (cenm of
maxima) is employed, thus leading to a high efficiency and
ttansparency of the intelligentdetector.
The Neuro Detector was set up with a back propagation
network, comprising a network structure with 50 input

789

neurons, 1 hidden layer and 2 output neurons. In order to

exhaust the entire performance capacity of the neural
network and obtain a better interpretation of the
0%
two outputs (K-complex and non-K-complex) were defined.
To do this, the network is trainded not only with typical Kcomplex patterns, but also with typical non-Kamplex
patterns. An. user interfhce was created for the Neuro
Detector whereby the individual proce
activated separately. The function
possibility of varying parameters in preset band widths in
order to investigate their effect on the result.
detection system is p
1

application.

Figure 2: Neuro-Fuzzy Detection

a K-complex. Units: x axis: time in h:min.
y axis: EEG signal in p

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

REFJXfiNCES

EEG data, containing

longterm studies were
the K-complexes was investigated throughout a whole night,
In all the investigations, the
reliable and safe recognition,
agreement with the physici
u n c e d cases
where the level of detection
50% were correctly recognized by the Neuro Fuzzy Detector.
In these cases, an additional visual analysis on the part of the
practitioner is required. The i
a graphical output, with which
can be visualized directly in the
background and level of detection,

[l]V. Krajca, S. Petranek I. Patakova, A, V W : Automatic

identification of Significant Graphoelements in MultiC h e l EEG Recordings by Adaptive Segmentation and
Fuzzy Clustering. International Journal Biomedical
Computing, Vol. 28, 1991.
[Z] RechWhaffen: Manual of Standardized Terminology,
Techniques and Scoring. Washington DC, US Government
Printing office, 1968.
[3] V. Pohl, E. Fahr, T. Merlin, A. Tropschug, U. Scholz:
Fuzzy-Detektion von K-Komplexen in EEG-Signalen.
Proceedings of DFMRS,Bremen, 1994
Di
M. M o w Amady:
in sl
G using a fuzzy cngs

The performance capacity of the dev

Detection System becomes evident when from an eight
hours EEG sleep polygraphy, the K-complexes with their
appertaining level of d e t d o n are determined in approx. 2
minutes. An experienced physician would require approx. 3
hours to do this in an ex-post analysis.
Using this method,the physician has a practical an

790