Tutorials

The following pages will take you through a typical workflow of data analyses that will feature most of the tools and applications of Brainstorm. We are updating these pages constantly, keeping up with new developments and features in the software: you are therefore welcome to suggest improvements and additions but also to contribute by becoming a editor of this wiki. Please email us if you would like to contribute.

How to use the tutorial pages

1. Go through the 12 steps of Getting started with Brainstorm (see below). In just a few hours, you will be introduced to the essential features of the application.

2. Read more specific tutorials (see Advanced Tutorials below), related to your personal interests/needs.

3. If you need a printed version of a page, click on the "print" link at the top-right corner of the page.

Getting started with Brainstorm

• ?0. Brainstorm architecture

• ?1. First steps

• ?2. Importing individual anatomy

• ?3. Importing MEG recordings

• ?4. Exploring the recordings

• ?5. Computing a head model

• ?6. Computing a noise covariance matrix

• ?7. Source estimation

• ?8. Scouts: Cortical regions of interest

• ?9. Processes: Graphical batching interface

• ?10. Statistics

• ?11. Time-frequency

Advanced tutorials

Continuous Neuromag recordings

1. ?Review raw recordings and edit markers

2. Import and process raw recordings

Anatomy and registration

1. Brainstorm coordinate systems

2. MRI segmentation with BrainVISA

3. MRI segmentation with BrainSuite

4. Warping default anatomy

Source estimation

1. BEM head model

2. Volume source estimation

3. ?Import and visualize dipoles from Neuromag Xfit

4. ?BrainEntropy MEM (Maximum Entropy on the Mean)

Other useful how-to's

1. How to cite Brainstorm in your publications

2. ?How to use Brainstorm without the GUI

3. ?How to compile Brainstorm

4. Known bugs

Getting started (details)

• ?0. Brainstorm architecture

  • Brainstorm folders

  • Brainstorm database (concept)

  • Brainstorm database (files)

• ?1. First steps

  • Create first protocol

  • Fiducials selection (MRI Viewer)

  • Protocol exploration

  • MRI visualization

  • Surfaces visualization

  • Coordinates tab

• ?2. Importing individual anatomy

  • Dataset description

  • Import MRI

  • Import surfaces

  • Downsample and merge surfaces

  • Check registration with MRI

  • Fix registration with MRI

  • What happened on the hard drive

• ?3. Importing MEG recordings

  • Import recordings

  • Channel file

  • MEG recordings

  • Managing conditions

• ?4. Exploring the recordings

  • Display recordings

  • Time exploration

  • Sensors selection

  • Time series in columns

  • Time selection

  • Good / bad channels

  • Colormap configuration

  • Toolbar / Manipulating multiple windows

  • Database navigator

  • Snapshots

  • Keyboard shortcuts

• ?5. Computing a head model

  • Forward problem

  • Single sphere model

  • Overlapping spheres model

  • Selection of a head model

  • Batching head model computation

• ?6. Computing a noise covariance matrix

  • Compute from recordings

  • Noise covariance from another dataset

• ?7. Source estimation

  • Computing sources for a single data file

  • Sources visualization

  • Computing sources for multiple data files

  • Minimum norm options

  • Project sources on default anatomy

• ?8. Scouts: Cortical regions of interest

  • Creating a scout

  • Scout function

  • Multiple scouts

  • Load/save scouts

  • Display scouts time series from the database tree

  • Scout toolbar and menus

• ?9. Processes: Graphical batching interface

  • Selecting files to process

  • Creating a pipeline

  • Another example: z-score and scouts

• ?10. Statistics

  • Binary processes

  • Mixing recordings from different runs

  • Tests

• ?11. Time-frequency

  • Introduction to complex Morlet wavelets

  • Edge effects

  • TF: Recordings

  • Description of the options

  • Display time-frequency maps

  • Contents of the "timefreq" files

  • Time and frequency bands

  • TF: Clusters time series

  • TF: Cortical sources

  • TF: Scouts time series

  • Processing time-frequency files