[FieldTrip] Granger Causality with ft_connectivity_analysis

Per Arnold Lysne lysne at unm.edu
Wed Oct 7 22:55:10 CEST 2015


Hi Helen,


    I am having good luck with ft_connectivity_analysis in MEG using the nonparametric Granger approach of Dhamala, Rangarajan & Ding, 2008, Neuroimage and Physical Review letters.


    Thanks,


Per Lysne

University of New Mexico

lysne at unm.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: Helen Wieffering
Sent: Oct 7, 2015 8:59 AM
To: FieldTrip discussion list
Subject: [FieldTrip] Granger Causality with ft_connectivity_analysis

Dear FieldTrip users,

I'm writing to see if any one out there has had success with computing Granger causality measures in FieldTrip. We have been working toward making this analysis possible with our EEG data and have now reached the final stages.

However, we find that ft_connectivity_analysis (and ft_connectivity_granger for that matter) offers little guidance on how to achieve a good mvar model fit. For example, the function asks the user to specify the model order without offering tests for whiteness, stationarity, or consistency. It seems that Fieldtrip calls on the BSMART toolbox to perform these operations, which further confuses me given that BSMART itself offers these model validation tests. Yet they don't seem to ever be called upon by FieldTrip.

We've considered using the BSMART toolbox separately from FieldTrip, yet the toolbox website is rather outdated and the functions are only compatible through 2008 Matlab - seems like a headache. But without tools for validating the mvar model, we can't be confident of any GC results achieved through FieldTrip.

Are there perhaps further connectivity tools in FieldTrip that I've overlooked? Or is it worth looking into other toolboxes? We've also considered SIFT and the MVGC toolbox, but would love to keep working with FieldTrip if possible.

If anyone can offer advice, or connect me with someone knowledgeable in this area, I'd love to know.

Thanks very much,

Helen Wieffering
Bowdoin College



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