MaTiLDA: An Integrated Machine Learning and Topological Data Analysis Platform for Brain Network Dynamics

Topological data analysis (TDA) is a powerful approach for investigating complex relationships in brain networks; however, its application requires substantial domain knowledge in programming, mathematics, and data science, especially in the context of data-driven approaches like machine learning (ML). To address this educational barrier, we introduce MaTiLDA, a graphical user interface that enables exploration of common representations of TDA features and their efficacy in various classical machine learning models. This user-friendly tool is the first graphical user interface built to explore TDA representations in machine learning applications. MaTiLDA provides a user-centric method for characterizing complex neural relationships using TDA techniques. To demonstrate the utility of MaTiLDA in characterizing brain network dynamics, we apply this workflow to a cohort of 4 refractory epilepsy patients and evaluate the predictive performance of various TDA feature representations in a series of ML models. The MaTiLDA application can be accessed through https://bmhinformatics.case.edu/nic/MaTiLDA