Empirical mode decomposition in clinical signal analysis: A systematic review.

Journal: Computers in biology and medicine
Published Date: Aug 1, 2025

Abstract

This systematic review examines the transformative applications of empirical mode decomposition (EMD) in healthcare, focusing on its ability to analyse diverse physiological signals. By a thorough exploration of key databases and stringent study selection, the effectiveness of EMD has been highlighted across various medical fields. In cardiology, EMD has significantly improved electrocardiographic analysis, surpassing conventional techniques such as Fourier and wavelet transforms, with accuracy rates reaching up to 98 % for detecting subtle cardiac abnormalities. In neurology, EMD has enhanced electroencephalographic analysis, better capturing dynamic brain activity and offering higher sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of neurological disorders. In respiratory medicine, EMD has demonstrated superior computational efficiency and accuracy in analysing complex respiratory patterns, thereby reducing false-positive rates by 20 %. Despite these advantages, challenges related to intrinsic mode function (IMF) selection and boundary effects introduce performance variability. This review emphasises the need for standardised guidelines and the development of advanced algorithms to address the limitations. Future research should explore hybrid approaches that combine EMD with machine learning models to improve the robustness and efficiency in computation. Overall, this review showcases the potential of EMD to revolutionise physiological signal analysis and provides valuable recommendations for overcoming current challenges, offering insights for further research and clinical practice.

Authors

  • Shanglin Yang
    School of Electrical and Information Engineering, North Minzu University, No. 204 North Wenchang Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750021, China; Microelectronics and Solid-State Electronics Device Research Center, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750021, China. Electronic address: ysl029@163.com.
  • Hsientsai Wu
    School of Electrical and Information Engineering, North Minzu University, No. 204 North Wenchang Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750021, China; Department of Electrical Engineering, Dong Hwa University, No. 1, Section 2, Da Hsueh Rd., Hualien, 97401, Taiwan. Electronic address: hsientsaiwu@gmail.com.
  • Xuwei Liao
    School of Electrical and Information Engineering, North Minzu University, No. 204 North Wenchang Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750021, China. Electronic address: liao.xw@foxmail.com.
  • Yuyang Lin
    State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, People's Republic of China.
  • Jianjung Chen
    Taichung Tzuchi Hospital, The Buddhist Tzuchi Medical Foundation, Taichung, 42743, Taiwan; School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, 97002, Taiwan. Electronic address: cjjwei1206@gmail.com.

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