ECG-Lens: Benchmarking ML & DL Models on PTB-XL Dataset

TL;DR

This paper benchmarks traditional machine learning and deep learning models on the PTB-XL ECG dataset, showing that complex CNNs outperform traditional methods in classifying cardiac conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive comparison of ML and DL models on ECG data, highlighting the superior performance of complex CNN architectures with data augmentation.

Findings

Deep learning models, especially complex CNNs, outperform traditional ML algorithms.

Data augmentation with SWT improves model performance and robustness.

ECG-Lens achieved 80% accuracy and 90% ROC-AUC on the PTB-XL dataset.

Abstract

Automated classification of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals is a useful tool for diagnosing and monitoring cardiovascular diseases. This study compares three traditional machine learning algorithms (Decision Tree Classifier, Random Forest Classifier, and Logistic Regression) and three deep learning models (Simple Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Complex CNN (ECGLens)) for the classification of ECG signals from the PTB-XL dataset, which contains 12-lead recordings from normal patients and patients with various cardiac conditions. The DL models were trained on raw ECG signals, allowing them to automatically extract discriminative features. Data augmentation using the Stationary Wavelet Transform (SWT) was applied to enhance model performance, increase the diversity of training samples, and preserve the essential characteristics of the ECG signals. The models were evaluated using multiple metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and ROC-AUC. The ECG-Lens model achieved the highest performance, with 80% classification accuracy and a 90% ROC-AUC. These findings demonstrate that deep learning architectures, particularly complex CNNs substantially outperform traditional ML methods on raw 12-lead ECG data, and provide a practical benchmark for selecting automated ECG classification models and identifying directions for condition-specific model development.