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Main Authors: Oliva, Christian, Changoluisa, Vinicio, Rodríguez, Francisco B, Lago-Fernández, Luis F
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10121
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author Oliva, Christian
Changoluisa, Vinicio
Rodríguez, Francisco B
Lago-Fernández, Luis F
author_facet Oliva, Christian
Changoluisa, Vinicio
Rodríguez, Francisco B
Lago-Fernández, Luis F
contents Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) based on P300 event-related potentials offer promising applications in health, education, and assistive technologies. However, challenges related to inter- and intra-subject variability and the explainability of Deep Learning (DL) models limit their practical deployment. In this work, we present the Post-Recurrent Module (PRM), an additional layer designed to improve both performance and transparency, incorporated into a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) architecture for classifying P300 signals from EEG data. Our approach enables a dual analysis of spatio-temporal signals through both global and local explainability techniques, allowing us not only to identify the most relevant brain regions and critical time intervals involved in classification, but also to interpret model decisions in terms of spatio-temporal EEG patterns consistent with well-stablished neurophysiological descriptions of the P300. Experimental results show a 9\% improvement in performance over state of the art, while also revealing the importance of inter- and intra-subject variability, in alignment with established neuroscience literature. By making model decisions transparent and efficient, we present a framework for explainable EEG-based models. This framework is not limited to more efficient P300 detection, but can be generalized to a wide range of EEG-based tasks. Its ability to identify key spatial and temporal features makes it suitable for applications such as motor imagery, steady-state visual evoked potentials, and even cognitive workload assessment.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_10121
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Explainability of Recurrent Neural Networks for Enhancing P300-based Brain-Computer Interfaces
Oliva, Christian
Changoluisa, Vinicio
Rodríguez, Francisco B
Lago-Fernández, Luis F
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Human-Computer Interaction
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) based on P300 event-related potentials offer promising applications in health, education, and assistive technologies. However, challenges related to inter- and intra-subject variability and the explainability of Deep Learning (DL) models limit their practical deployment. In this work, we present the Post-Recurrent Module (PRM), an additional layer designed to improve both performance and transparency, incorporated into a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) architecture for classifying P300 signals from EEG data. Our approach enables a dual analysis of spatio-temporal signals through both global and local explainability techniques, allowing us not only to identify the most relevant brain regions and critical time intervals involved in classification, but also to interpret model decisions in terms of spatio-temporal EEG patterns consistent with well-stablished neurophysiological descriptions of the P300. Experimental results show a 9\% improvement in performance over state of the art, while also revealing the importance of inter- and intra-subject variability, in alignment with established neuroscience literature. By making model decisions transparent and efficient, we present a framework for explainable EEG-based models. This framework is not limited to more efficient P300 detection, but can be generalized to a wide range of EEG-based tasks. Its ability to identify key spatial and temporal features makes it suitable for applications such as motor imagery, steady-state visual evoked potentials, and even cognitive workload assessment.
title Explainability of Recurrent Neural Networks for Enhancing P300-based Brain-Computer Interfaces
topic Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10121