= Designing studies = There are many important issues that need to be considered when designing an fMRI experiment, at many different levels. == General principles == * DesignBasics - some ideas on asking the right kinds of scientific questions with fMRI * DesignEfficiency - considerations on how to construct an imaging experiment that has sufficient power * [[CbuMethods:stimdatabases|List of Databases]] for stimulus selection, evaluation, and other tools == Choosing your MRI acquisition == You'll probably use our [[ImagingSequences|default MRI sequences]]. However, you might want to use another protocol (for example, to change the number of slices) but you must discuss it with the Radiographers. If you're doing anything exotic, you should also contact the Physicists (Marta, Stefan or Rhodri). * Take a look at the first two talks in [[SpmMiniCourse2007|CBU SPM mini course]] for (1) an overview of MRI physics, and (2) an overview of the biophysics of fMRI * [[UnderstandingFmri|Learning about the physics of fMRI]] == Useful tips == * [[TipsForDataAcquisition|Tips for data acquisition]] * [[TipsForSuccessfulScanning|Tips for successful scanning]] * For stimulus delivery on the CBU scanner see the MRI facility wiki pages - CbuMriFacility:CbuStimulusDelivery * ScanProtocols - CBU defaut imaging protocols * [[CbuMethods:WritingStimulusDeliveryPrograms|Writing stimulus delivery programs]] * [[CbuMethods:ScannerSync|Using scanner sync]] to synchronise your stimulus delivery program with the scanner * [[TransformingVisualAngleAndPixelSize|Transforming stimulus size in pixels to/from visual angle in degrees]]. Useful for matching stimulus size between behavioural testing and the scanner. Try the [[StudentForum|student forum for helpful tips]]