Integrating e-prime with fMRI

[Jordan Bigio]

Daniel and all,
I'm not sure what IFIS is. Let me tell you how we did it, but this is all
dependent on what response pad you use...if any.

Ok, Eprime has some response pads that are gloves and other equipment that
works seamlessly with Eprime (as an input device). You use the port object
and add 1 to the port address (Ex. &H3F8 becomes 3F9). Though, I don't know
details on the electronic interface or the triggering of it. Now, we use
the fORP (fiber optic response pad) by Current Designs, which, though it
says it does, does not work seamlessly with Epime. You have to install and
run a program called ckubed and use it while you're running experiments for
the response pad to register the correct numbered responses. '5' is the
trigger input, so we programmed that as the input to clear the instructions
and start the experiment. Someone from Current Designs built a trigger for
us (with the help of GE) that runs from the computer that runs the GE
scanner to the fORP to my computer running Eprime. Though, in our case
something is not correct from the computer to the trigger, b/c it still
doesn't work.

As you can see, this is not a Sunday walk in the park. Choose a response
pad or input device, and then recruit the designer of that to correspond
with the hospital where you are running AND the manufacturer of the fMRI
scanner to create a trigger for you. The trigger will inevitably go from
the computer starting the scanner to the electronic interface of whatever
button box you're using. They should do this, b/c it's their product and
they will make it compatible for your purposes...though you may need to be
adamant about that point. We aren't electricians you know. That's my
general advice (independent of what input device you use) as to triggering
Eprime and using it with fMRI, which we do currently. Hope it helps, and
sorry my email is so long.

Jordan

At 05:03 PM 2/10/2004 -0500, Daniel Ansari wrote:
>Dear all,
>
>I am new to using e-prime in conjunction with fMRI. How do people go about
>this. Ideally I would like e-prime to be triggered by the scanner. Can one
>achieve this without IFIS?
>
>Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
>With best wishes,
>Daniel

Jordan D. Bigio, B.A.
Project Coordinator
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University
2240 N. Campus Dr., Frances Searle Building, Rm. 2-342
Evanston, IL 60208
Phone: 847-491-3647