Influences of the signal border extension in the discrete wavelet transform in EEG spike detection

Abstract Introduction The discrete wavelet transform is used in many studies as signal preprocessor for EEG spike detection. An inherent process of this mathematical tool is the recursive wavelet convolution over the signal that is decomposed into detail and approximation coefficients. To perform these convolutions, firstly it is necessary to extend signal borders. The selection of an unsuitable border extension algorithm may increase the false positive rate of an EEG spike detector. Methods In this study we analyzed nine different border extensions used for convolution and 19 mother wavelets commonly seen in other EEG spike detectors in the literature. Results The border extension may degrade an EEG spike detector up to 44.11%. Furthermore, results behave differently for distinct number of wavelet coefficients. Conclusion There is not a best border extension to be used with any EEG spike detector based on the discrete wavelet transform, but the selection of the most adequate border extension is related to the number of coefficients of a mother wavelet.