DS-CNN: Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Facial Emotion Detection in Children with Down Syndrome during Dolphin-Assisted Therapy

In Mexico, according to data from the General Directorate of Health Information (2018), there is an annual incidence of 689 newborns with Trisomy 21, well-known as Down Syndrome. Worldwide, this incidence is estimated between 1 in every 1000 newborns, approximately. That is why this work focuses on the detection and analysis of facial emotions in children with Down Syndrome in order to predict their emotions throughout a dolphin-assisted therapy. In this work, two databases are used: Exploratory Data Analysis, with a total of 20,214 images, and the Down's Syndrome Dataset database, with 1445 images for training, validation, and testing of the neural network models. The construction of two architectures based on a Deep Convolutional Neural Network manages an efficiency of 79%, when these architectures are tested with a large reference image database. Then, the architecture that achieves better results is trained, validated, and tested in a small-image database with the facial emotions of children with Down Syndrome, obtaining an efficiency of 72%. However, this increases by 9% when the brain activity of the child is included in the training, resulting in an average precision of 81%. Using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) along with the Down's Syndrome Dataset (DSDS) has promising advantages in the field of brain-computer interfaces. EEG provides direct access to the electrical activity of the brain, allowing for real-time monitoring and analysis of cognitive states. Integrating EEG signals into a CNN architecture can enhance learning and decision-making capabilities. It is important to note that this work has the primary objective of addressing a doubly vulnerable population, as these children also have a disability.