Mask_explorer: A tool for exploring brain masks in fMRI group analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging Analysis

Background:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly used to study the human brain.
• Reliable fMRI group analysis requires consistent experiments, large samples, and robust statistical methods.
• A gap exists in user-friendly interfaces for visualizing subject-specific details within a common analysis space.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a novel interface for fMRI group analysis.
• To provide a user-friendly tool for exploring subject-specific data within a common analysis space.
• To address the need for improved quality control in fMRI data preprocessing.

Main Methods:

• Development of a MATLAB toolbox named mask_explorer.
• Implementation of a graphical user interface (GUI) for mask exploration.
• The toolbox computes subject masks from raw data and identifies potential preprocessing issues.

Main Results:

• The mask_explorer offers a user-friendly GUI for exploring subject masks.
• It can compute subject masks and generate lists of subjects with potentially problematic data.
• The toolbox is compatible with MATLAB and the SPM toolbox, with practical examples demonstrating its utility.

Conclusions:

• The mask_explorer facilitates rapid quality control of fMRI group analysis data.
• It aids in identifying preprocessing and acquisition-related failures.
• Researchers can use this tool to detect and inspect subjects with problematic data, improving overall analysis reliability.