Create Paradigm in Design File

To create a paradigm in the design file, a condition must be specified for each regressor in the design matrix used in the GLM analysis. It should contain the onset time of each block of stimuli and the duration of the block. The amplitude of the condition, which acts as a weight in the analysis, should also be specified.

Create Paradigm

Add Condition button

Adds a new condition to the paradigm.

Delete Condition button

Deletes selected condition from the paradigm.

Specify in Seconds or Scans

Select whether or not the condition onset and duration should be specified in seconds or scans (volumes/measurements).

Condition Drop down menu

For each added condition, a corresponding entry is added to the condition drop down menu displayed below. It can be used to switch between already added conditions. The condition onset, duration and amplitude will be updated for the selected condition.

Condition Onset

Specify the onset time of a given condition. The onset time should be specified as a vector, in sequential order. If the spacing between the onset times is the same throughout the condition, then the following syntax <start time>:<spacing>:<end time> can also be used.

In the example below, a onset block of start every 60th second, starting at time point 0 and with the last onset time after 300 seconds. Given by a vector, this can be written as 0 60 120 180 240 300 as below, or by specifying it as 0:60:300.

Condition Duration

Specify the duration of each onset time for the given condition, as done above under condition onset. The duration of the individual onsets can vary throughout the condition. If it varies, then the condition duration has to be specified as a vector, where the entries correspond to the entries in the condition onset vector. In the example below, the duration of each condition onset is equal to 30. Therefore only a single entry is needed.

Condition Amplitude

The condition amplitude is given by a single, positive, number. It can be used to give different weights to each individual condition. The default value is 1, as illustrated below.

Update Condition button

Used to add the current condition to the paradigm.

View Paradigm button

Illustrates the current paradigm graphically. By default, it is set to display all conditions defined in the paradigm. By unselecting Display All only the currently selected condition in the paradigm is displayed.

Display paradigm

Other Options

Cancel Button

Abort edit of existing, or creation of new, design file.

Save Design Button

Save design file with the name specified in design name.

Previous Button

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Next Button

Go to the next page.