.. _checklist: --------------------- MEG Session Checklist --------------------- **Step by step MEG Session checklist** `Author:` Maitha Al Shaali `ma6895@nyu.edu `_ Scheduling A Session ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. checklist:: - [ ] Confirm the session date and time with the participant using your preferred method (e.g., Sona, Calendly), and cross-check CTPSS to avoid conflicts with other MEG sessions. - [ ] Create and send a Google Calendar invite to the participant. - [ ] Book the session on CTPSS, including a ~30-minute buffer before and after. Do not include the participant in this booking. - [ ] Email the participant the study requirements, consent form, and any pre-experiment surveys (if applicable). Before Participant Arrival ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. checklist:: - [ ] Disinfect surfaces (bed, helmet), HPI-coils (gently), and earphones using disinfectant wipes. - [ ] Place clean bedsheet, pillow cover and new earphone covers. - [ ] Cut 15 pieces of tape (~3-inches in length) for attaching HPI coils. - [ ] Switch on EyeLink and Eye-tracking computer (if applicable). - [ ] Test speakers, microphones, response boxes, and screen inside Magnetically Shielded Room (MSR). - [ ] Call security to request switching off all devices until the session is completed. - If the participant wears hijab: - [ ] Request all male researchers to leave the lab for the session duration. - [ ] Put up the “ladies only” sign on the outside of the lab door. - [ ] Set up the divider near the door. MSR Preparation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. checklist:: - [ ] Ensure that the Marker Box is switched on. - [ ] Switch on the ProPixx screen from the stimulus computer. - [ ] Test the speaker and microphone by asking the participant if they are able to hear you. - [ ] Test the eye-tracker calibration (if applicable). - [ ] SWITCH OFF THE HEATER Participant Preparation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. checklist:: - [ ] Welcome the participant to the lab and confirm their name and/or NetID. - [ ] Confirm or remind the participant about the consent form and any pre-experiment surveys (if applicable). - [ ] Briefly explain the process and requirements for their participation. - [ ] Confirm that the participant does not have any non-removable metal on their body. - [ ] If the participant wears glasses, ask for their prescription and provide MEG-compatible glasses. - [ ] Ask the participant to change into the scrubs provided and remove all metals (smart watches, jewelry, hair accessories, etc.). - [ ] Set all devices to Airplane Mode (phones, smart watches). - [ ] Briefly explain the laser scan process. - [ ] Equip the participant with a tight-fitting cap to smooth their head shape. - [ ] Place brace around participant's neck covered with paper towel for hygiene - [ ] Draw the Marker points on the participants head with a felt-tip marker. - [ ] Ask the participant to close their eyes and remain still during the laser scan. - [ ] Conduct the laser scan (sweeps and points). - [ ] Guide the participant to the MSR. - [ ] Explain the process of attaching HPI coils and the study setup (bed, screen, eye-tracker). - [ ] Attach the coils to the participant’s head using the guide on the wall and the cable labels. - [ ] Help the participant lie down carefully on the bed, ensuring the coils do not detach or shift. - [ ] Equip the participant with earphones. - [ ] Provide the participant with the leg pillow and blanket for comfort. - [ ] Switch off the lights and shut the MSR door. MEG Recording ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ At the MEG Main Computer: .. checklist:: - [ ] Open MEGLaboratory: click Acquire > Autotuning > OK and wait for the autotuning process to complete. - [ ] Click Acquire > MEG Measurement > Sensor Check and perform for 30 secs to 1 minute. - [ ] While waiting, fill in subject details (e.g., “sub-007”). - [ ] Create the subject folder and copy/paste the folder path so that the data is saved correctly. - [ ] Disable Sensor Check button - [ ] Once signals are stable, click Lock. - [ ] Wait for Lock to complete and for the signals to stabilise again. - [ ] Take a marker measurement: click MEG Measurement > Marker Measurement > Start. - [ ] After the process is complete, ensure accuracy values are around 99.90% or above. - [ ] Ensure the screen is displaying the experiment instructions and that the participant is ready to begin the task. - [ ] Start recording: click Continuous Mode > Start > Start Acquisition. - [ ] During the session, take note of any signal abnormalities, participant movement, or interruptions with timestamps. After MEG Session ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. checklist:: - [ ] Stop recording: click Continuous Mode > Abort. - [ ] Save the .con file to the participant folder. - [ ] Take a second marker measurement: click Acquire > MEG Measurement > Marker Measurement. - [ ] Once the MEG measurement is complete, click Unlock. - [ ] Switch on the lights and open the MSR door. - [ ] Assist the participant in sitting up and carefully remove the HPI coils. - [ ] Guide the participant back to the laser scan room and instruct them to change back into their clothes and collect all belongings. - [ ] Switch the heater back on. - [ ] Provide the participant with compensation (if applicable). After Participant Leaves ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. checklist:: - [ ] Switch Marker Box off. - [ ] Remove and stow used bedsheets and pillow covers in the laundry basket, and used earphone covers in the bin. - [ ] Disinfect MSR surfaces (bed, helmet), HPI coils (gently), and earphones using disinfectant wipes. - [ ] Call security to inform them that the session is complete (if finished early). - [ ] Replace the 15 pieces of tape - ready for the next experiment Saving The Data ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. note:: The names below follow the lab convention in `Data Naming and Storing <../5-meg-data-gallery/2-datastorage.html>`_. The order of entities is fixed: ``sub``, then ``ses``, then ``task``, then ``acq``, then ``run``, then ``split``. In the examples replace ``sub-007`` with the participant ID, ``ses-01`` with the session number (leave it out when the subject has only one session) and ``task-vcp`` with your task name. Experiment Data """"""""""""""" .. checklist:: - [ ] At the Stimulus Computer, use the hard drive "EXTREME SSD" to save the data and transfer it to the Laser Scan computer. - [ ] Open the project folder, select and upload the following files to the hard drive: - sub-007.edf (eye-tracking recording, if applicable) - trigger_log_s011_YYYYMMDD_000000.txt - sub-007-vcp.mat (stimulus presentation log) Laser Scan Data """"""""""""""" .. checklist:: - [ ] At the laser scan computer, create a folder with the participant ID (e.g. "sub-007"). - [ ] Save the whole FastScan project (File > Save) as "sub-007_acq-laserproject_headshape.fsn". - [ ] Generate the surface, then export the head scan as "sub-007_ses-01_acq-head_headshape.txt". - [ ] Export the stylus points as "sub-007_ses-01_acq-points_headshape.txt". - [ ] At the Laser Scan Computer, open the project folder, select and upload the following files to the hard drive: - sub-007_acq-laserproject_headshape.fsn - sub-007_ses-01_acq-head_headshape.txt - sub-007_ses-01_acq-points_headshape.txt MEG Data """""""" .. checklist:: - [ ] Use the hard drive "EXTREME SSD" to save the data and transfer it from the MEG Main PC to the Laser Scan computer. - [ ] Rename the recording to "sub-007_ses-01_task-vcp_run-01_meg.con". Include ``run-`` only when the session produced more than one .con file. - [ ] At the MEG Main PC, open the .con file and click Edit > Noise Reduction (R), then save as "sub-007_ses-01_task-vcp_proc-CALMnoisereduction_meg.con". - [ ] Rename the two marker measurements, in the order they were acquired, to: - sub-007_ses-01_task-rest_acq-1_space-ALS_markers.mrk - sub-007_ses-01_task-rest_acq-2_space-ALS_markers.mrk - [ ] At the MEG Main PC, open the project folder, select and upload the following files to the hard drive: - sub-007_ses-01_task-vcp_run-01_meg.con - sub-007_ses-01_task-vcp_proc-CALMnoisereduction_meg.con - sub-007_ses-01_task-rest_acq-1_space-ALS_markers.mrk - sub-007_ses-01_task-rest_acq-2_space-ALS_markers.mrk .. checklist:: - [ ] Safely eject EXTREME SSD. Uploading Data to NYU Box """"""""""""""""""""""""" .. checklist:: - [ ] In the project folder on NYU Box, open the participant folder "sub-007" (and the "ses-01" folder if the subject has several sessions), then create these two sub-folders: - "meg" for the MEG recordings, the markers and the head shape files - "sourcedata" for the raw laser project and the stimulus and eye-tracking files .. checklist:: - [ ] From the hard drive, select and upload every file into its folder. The "meg" folder should contain: .. checklist:: - [ ] sub-007_ses-01_task-vcp_run-01_meg.con - [ ] sub-007_ses-01_task-vcp_proc-CALMnoisereduction_meg.con - [ ] sub-007_ses-01_task-rest_acq-1_space-ALS_markers.mrk - [ ] sub-007_ses-01_task-rest_acq-2_space-ALS_markers.mrk - [ ] sub-007_ses-01_acq-head_headshape.txt - [ ] sub-007_ses-01_acq-points_headshape.txt The "sourcedata" folder should contain: .. checklist:: - [ ] sub-007_acq-laserproject_headshape.fsn - [ ] sub-007.edf - [ ] trigger_log_s011_YYYYMMDD_000000.txt - [ ] sub-007-vcp.mat