Application of random forest classifier for automatic sleep spindle detection

Sleep spindle detection using supervised learning methods such as Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines had been researched in the past. Supervised learning methods such as the above are prone to overfitting problems. In this research paper, we explore the detection of sleep spindles using the Random Forest classifier which is known to over fit data to a much lower extent when compared to other supervised classifiers. The classifier was developed using data from 3 subjects and it was tested on data from 12 subjects from the MASS database. A sensitivity of 71.2% and a specificity of 96.73% was achieved using the random forest classifier.