Ferramenta experimental para análise de padrões de atividade cerebral

Abstract

The brain is a very complex organ and studies performed trying to understanding its operation can be done in different ways using different techniques and very diverse experiments. Until recently only brain structures were studied, but the progress of technologies (such as the uprising of positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging) has allowed researchers to investigate beyond the anatomical structure of the brain aiming at understanding the functioning and relationship of structures from this organ in a microscopic view. At the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston Campus, currently professionals in the neuroimaging division of the department of neuroscience have been using a tool developed by researchers at Princeton University. However, to use this tool it is necessary to have a prior knowledge of language Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) and, even so, the toolbox does not offer an environment of easy interaction being done by command line. Thus, considering the possibilities of analysis of data obtained from brain activity and the diversity of professionals involved in these analysis that do not always possess an in-depth knowledge to handle complex computational tools, the development of an easy graphical interface is presented as necessary to encourage the use of the MVPA toolbox of Princeton University. Therefore, by performing this work it was implemented an experimental tool with MATLAB to be used by physicians to diagnose patients based only on patterns of their brain activity. The data for this analysis are obtained by magnetic resonance data (fMRI).