Configurable Modular EEG Classification Framework with Multiscale Features and Ensemble Learning: A Reproducible Evaluation for Schizophrenia Detection

EEG-based classification of mental disorders has increasingly relied on deep learning models, which are computationally intensive and difficult to interpret, limiting reproducibility and clinical deployment in resource-constrained or cross-site settings. We propose a configurable and modular machine learning framework for EEG-based classification that emphasizes interpretability, flexibility, and rigorous evaluation using schizophrenia detection as a representative use case. Our framework integrates standardized preprocessing, multiscale feature extraction, minimum redundancy–maximum relevance feature selection, and configurable ensemble learning. It also supports multiple validation strategies, including random splits, k-fold cross-validation, and leave-one-subject-out (LOSO), enabling systematic assessment of subject-level generalization. We evaluated the framework on two open EEG datasets: Warsaw IPN (Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 19 channels, 250 Hz; 28 subjects) and a Moscow adolescent cohort (16 channels, 128 Hz; 84 subjects). Results show that validation strategy strongly affects model performance. While K-fold validation yielded epoch-level accuracies of 98.06% and 91.47%, LOSO results were much lower: 76.12% (epoch-level) and 82.14% (subject-level) for Dataset 1, and 70.71% (epoch-level) and 77.38% (subject-level) for Dataset 2. These findings demonstrate the risk of overestimated performance due to data leakage and underscore the importance of subject-independent evaluation. Our proposed framework provides a low-complexity, interpretable, and extensible benchmark for reproducible EEG-based machine learning, with interpretable feature representations linked to EEG dynamics and potential applicability to broader neuroengineering and clinical decision-support systems.