NUTMEG

NUTMEG implements MATLAB-based source-space reconstruction and statistical analysis of magnetoencephalography (M/EEG) data to assess spatiotemporal neural dynamics.

Key Features:

• Data Import and Preprocessing: Multiple options for importing magnetoencephalography (M/EEG) data and performing preprocessing steps for downstream analysis.
• Sensor-to-Source-Statistics Pipeline: End-to-end processing from sensor-level data through source reconstruction to statistical testing.
• Source Reconstruction: A wide array of source reconstruction algorithms are provided, including interference cancellation techniques to mitigate external noise.
• Functional Connectivity Analysis: Built-in tools compute functional connectivity metrics to characterize neural network interactions and dynamics.
• Five-Dimensional Data Visualization: Visualization of data across three spatial and two temporal dimensions to examine spatiotemporal neural activity.
• Interoperability and Scripting: Each operation is implemented as a standalone MATLAB script to enable interoperability with other software toolboxes and scripted workflows.

Scientific Applications:

• Source-space mapping of neural activations: Localizing and characterizing spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity from M/EEG recordings.
• Functional connectivity and network dynamics: Investigating interactions and dynamics among brain regions using computed connectivity metrics.
• Group-level inferential statistics: Performing statistical comparisons and group analyses across subjects or conditions.
• Integration with structural MRI: Combining source-space results with structural MRI for anatomical localization of reconstructed sources.

Methodology:

Computational steps explicitly include M/EEG data import and preprocessing, source reconstruction using multiple algorithms with interference cancellation options, functional connectivity computation, inferential statistical testing for group analyses, and five-dimensional (three spatial + two temporal) visualization, with each operation implemented as a standalone MATLAB script.