Conditions

Ndata allows you to place conditions on the trials that will be included in the analysis. Conditions can be placed on parameter values, on trial numbers, and on characteristics of the data traces. Conditions are applied before any grouping takes place. All conditions are ANDed together.

Variable parameter conditions

• param_val [var_param_name] [value] - The variable parameter must equal the value specified.
• param_list [var_param_name] [val1] ... [valn] - The variable parameter must take on one of the listed values.
• param_range [var_param_value] [min] [max] - The variable parameter value must be in the range, including endpoints. This works for integer and float types, but not for character types.
• param_range_prev [var_param_value] [min] [max] - The variable parameter value on the previous trial must be in the range, including endpoints. If this is the first trial, the condition fails. This works for integer and float types, but not for character types.
• param_range_prev1 [var_param_value] [min] [max] - Like param_range_prev but, if this is the first trial, the condition succeeds.
• special_decision [pref | null] - Used for old Newsome data, to test for pref/null decision.

Trial number conditions (numbers start at 0)

• trial_range [min] [max] - Use trials in the range, inclusive.
• trial_number [k] - Use only the kth trial, k=0,1,...
• trial_last - Use only the last trial.
• trial_even - Use only trial numbers 0,2,4,...
• trial_odd - Use only trial numbers 1,3,5,...

Record conditions

• ecode_range [ev_chan_name] [min] [max] - An event code value within this range must be present.
• ecode_name [ev_chan_name] [event_code_name] - An event code matching the name (character string) given must be present on the specified event channel.
• ecode_time_diff [ev_chan_name] [code_1] [code_2] [condition] [val1] ...
  where [condition] is one of:
  • >
  • >=
  • <
  • <=
  • =
  • range [val1] [val2] (inclusive of the values)
  Trials will be accepted only if the time difference, event2 - event1, satisfies the stated condition and value(s).

• point_count_min [spike_chan_name] [start] [period] [min_spikes] - There must be at least "min_spikes" points in the window.
• point_count_max [spike_chan_name] [start] [period] [max_spikes] - There must be at most "max_spikes" points in the window.
• point_count [spike_chan_name] [start] [period] [min_spikes] [max_spikes] - There must be between "min_spikes" and "max_spikes" points in the window.
• point_count_max_dev [spike_chan_name] [start] [period] [nSD] - The number of points in the window must not be further than "nSD" standard deviations from the mean.
• point_count_max_dev_two_sided [spike_chan_name] [start] [period] [nSD_left] [nSD_right] - The number of points in the window must not be further than the specified number of "left" SDs to the left or "right" SDs to the right of the mean.

Look-up conditions

To customize analyses for individual data files, a look-up table can be used to set values for conditions. Contact Wyeth Bair for more information.