Sensitivity and selectivity for continuous perception values--a comment.

In a study of the detection of epileptiform activity in the EEG by multiple readers, Wilson et al. proposed continuous-valued sensitivity and selectivity to allow a probabilistic approach to spike detection to be taken (Wilson et al., 1996). Although we believe that such a probabilistic approach has merit, we are concerned that the use of alternative definitions for such universal measures of performance as sensitivity and selectivity can be both confusing and misleading. Wilson et al. stated the standard definition of inter-reader sensitivity, and the relationship between sensitivity and selectivity for spike detection, as