M3D: Manifold-Based Domain Adaptation With Dynamic Distribution for Non-Deep Transfer Learning in Cross-Subject and Cross-Session EEG-Based Emotion Recognition

Emotion decoding using Electroencephalography (EEG)-based affective brain-computer interfaces (aBCIs) is crucial for affective computing but is hindered by EEG's non-stationarity, individual variability, and the high cost of large-scale labeled data. Deep learning-based approaches, while effective, require substantial computational resources and large datasets, limiting their practicality. To address these challenges, we propose Manifold-based Domain Adaptation with Dynamic Distribution (M3D), a lightweight non-deep transfer learning framework. M3D includes four main modules: manifold feature transformation, dynamic distribution alignment, classifier learning, and ensemble learning. The data undergoes a transformation onto an optimal Grassmann manifold space, enabling dynamic alignment of the source and target domains. This process prioritizes both marginal and conditional distributions according to their significance, ensuring enhanced adaptation efficiency across various types of data. In the classifier learning, the principle of structural risk minimization is integrated to develop robust classification models. This is complemented by dynamic distribution alignment, which refines the classifier iteratively. Additionally, the ensemble learning module aggregates the classifiers obtained at different stages of the optimization process, which leverages the diversity of the classifiers to enhance the overall prediction accuracy. The proposed M3D framework is evaluated on three benchmark EEG emotion recognition datasets using two validation protocols (cross-subject single-session and cross-subject cross-session), as well as on a clinical EEG dataset of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Experimental results demonstrate that M3D outperforms traditional non-deep learning methods, achieving an average improvement of 6.67%, while achieving deep learning-comparable performance with significantly lower data and computational requirements. These findings highlight the potential of M3D to enhance the practicality and applicability of aBCIs in real-world scenarios.