Title
Optimal design of multi-subject blocked fMRI experiments.
Abstract
The design of a multi-subject fMRI experiment needs specification of the number of subjects and scanning time per subject. For example, for a blocked design with conditions A or B, fixed block length and block order ABN, where N denotes a null block, the optimal number of cycles of ABN and the optimal number of subjects have to be determined. This paper presents a method to determine the optimal number of subjects and optimal number of cycles for a blocked design based on the A-optimality criterion and a linear cost function by which the number of cycles and the number of subjects are restricted. Estimation of individual stimulus effects and estimation of contrasts between stimulus effects are both considered. The mixed-effects model is applied and analytical results for the A-optimal number of subjects and A-optimal number of cycles are obtained under the assumption of uncorrelated errors. For correlated errors with a first-order autoregressive (AR1) error structure, numerical results are presented. Our results show how the optimal number of cycles and subjects depend on the within- to between-subject variance ratio. Our method is a new approach to determine the optimal scanning time and optimal number of subjects for a multi-subject fMRI experiment. In contrast to previous results based on power analyses, the optimal number of cycles and subjects can be described analytically and costs are considered.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.03.019
NeuroImage
Keywords
Field
DocType
Optimal design,Blocked design,Number of subjects,Number of cycles,Cost function
Least squares,Autoregressive model,Linear model,Cognitive psychology,Uncorrelated,Algorithm,Optimal design,Fixed Block,Contrast (statistics),Statistics,Sample size determination,Mathematics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
56
3
1053-8119
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
3
0.42
6
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Bärbel Maus170.90
Gerard J. P. Van Breukelen2142.75
Rainer Goebel367056.00
Martijn P. F. Berger4367.74