Classification performance of the frequency-related parameters derived from uterine EMG signals

Abstract

Frequency-related parameters derived from the uterine electromyogram (EMG) signals are widely used in many pregnancy monitoring and preterm delivery prediction studies. Although they are classical parameters, they are well suited for quantifying uterine EMG signals and have many advantages over amplitude-related parameters. The present work aims to compare various frequency-related parameters according to their classification performances (pregnancy vs. labor) using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The comparison between the parameters indicates that median frequency is the best frequency-related parameter that can be used for distinguishing between pregnancy and labor contractions. We conclude that median frequency can be the representative frequency-related parameter for classification problems of uterine EMG.