A wireless communication method and apparatus for detecting and decoding enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) indicator channel (E-HICH) transmissions are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) receives E-HICH transmissions and detects an H-ARQ indicator transmitted via the E-HICH by performing a binary hypothesis test. The WTRU then generates an acknowledgement (ACK) message or a non-acknowledgement (NACK) message based on the detected H-ARQ indicator. A reliability test may be further performed to improve performance, whereby the binary hypothesis test may be performed only if the reliability test is passed.