Complex Independent Component Analysis of Frequency-Domain Electroencephalographic Data

Independent component analysis (ICA) has proven useful for modeling brain and electroencephalographic (EEG) data. Here, we present a new, generalized method to better capture the dynamics of brain signals than previous ICA algorithms. We regard EEG sources as eliciting spatio-temporal activity patterns, corresponding to, e.g., trajectories of activation propagating across cortex. This leads to a model of convolutive signal superposition, in contrast with the commonly used instantaneous mixing model. In the frequency-domain, convolutive mixing is equivalent to multiplicative mixing of complex signal sources within distinct spectral bands. We decompose the recorded spectral-domain signals into independent components by a complex infomax ICA algorithm. First results from a visual attention EEG experiment exhibit (1) sources of spatio-temporal dynamics in the data, (2) links to subject behavior, (3) sources with a limited spectral extent, and (4) a higher degree of independence compared to sources derived by standard ICA.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures. Added final journal reference, fixed minor typo

Complex Random Vectors and ICA Models: Identifiability, Uniqueness and Separability

In this paper the conditions for identifiability, separability and uniqueness of linear complex valued independent component analysis (ICA) models are established. These results extend the well-known conditions for solving real-valued ICA problems to complex-valued models. Relevant properties of complex random vectors are described in order to extend the Darmois-Skitovich theorem for complex-valued models. This theorem is used to construct a proof of a theorem for each of the above ICA model concepts. Both circular and noncircular complex random vectors are covered. Examples clarifying the above concepts are presented.Comment: To appear in IEEE TR-IT March 200

A Unifying View on Blind Source Separation of Convolutive Mixtures based on Independent Component Analysis

In many daily-life scenarios, acoustic sources recorded in an enclosure can only be observed with other interfering sources. Hence, convolutive Blind Source Separation (BSS) is a central problem in audio signal processing. Methods based on Independent Component Analysis (ICA) are especially important in this field as they require only few and weak assumptions and allow for blindness regarding the original source signals and the acoustic propagation path. Most of the currently used algorithms belong to one of the following three families: Frequency Domain ICA (FD-ICA), Independent Vector Analysis (IVA), and TRIple-N Independent component analysis for CONvolutive mixtures (TRINICON). While the relation between ICA, FD-ICA and IVA becomes apparent due to their construction, the relation to TRINICON is not well established yet. This paper fills this gap by providing an in-depth treatment of the common building blocks of these algorithms and their differences, and thus provides a common framework for all considered algorithms

Kurtosis-Based Blind Source Extraction of Complex Non-Circular Signals with Application in EEG Artifact Removal in Real-Time

A new class of complex domain blind source extraction algorithms suitable for the extraction of both circular and non-circular complex signals is proposed. This is achieved through sequential extraction based on the degree of kurtosis and in the presence of non-circular measurement noise. The existence and uniqueness analysis of the solution is followed by a study of fast converging variants of the algorithm. The performance is first assessed through simulations on well understood benchmark signals, followed by a case study on real-time artifact removal from EEG signals, verified using both qualitative and quantitative metrics. The results illustrate the power of the proposed approach in real-time blind extraction of general complex-valued sources

Cram\'er-Rao Bounds for Complex-Valued Independent Component Extraction: Determined and Piecewise Determined Mixing Models

This paper presents Cram\'er-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) for the complex-valued Blind Source Extraction (BSE) problem based on the assumption that the target signal is independent of the other signals. Two instantaneous mixing models are considered. First, we consider the standard determined mixing model used in Independent Component Analysis (ICA) where the mixing matrix is square and non-singular and the number of the latent sources is the same as that of the observed signals. The CRLB for Independent Component Extraction (ICE) where the mixing matrix is re-parameterized in order to extract only one independent target source is computed. The target source is assumed to be non-Gaussian or non-circular Gaussian while the other signals (background) are circular Gaussian or non-Gaussian. The results confirm some previous observations known for the real domain and bring new results for the complex domain. Also, the CRLB for ICE is shown to coincide with that for ICA when the non-Gaussianity of background is taken into account. %unless the assumed sources' distributions are misspecified. Second, we extend the CRLB analysis to piecewise determined mixing models. Here, the observed signals are assumed to obey the determined mixing model within short blocks where the mixing matrices can be varying from block to block. However, either the mixing vector or the separating vector corresponding to the target source is assumed to be constant across the blocks. The CRLBs for the parameters of these models bring new performance bounds for the BSE problem.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figure