This is a repository for a MATLAB implementation of a threshold visual detection task to be used in neurophysiological research. The task has been developed at the Neuroscience Center of University of Helsinki in the research groups of Matias Palva and Satu Palva. The groups have a long history of performing threshold detection tasks [1–7], and there are several different version of the basic experiment. This particular implementation has been written by Tuomas Puoliväli with two upcoming experiments in mind, one focused on circadian rhythms and one on closed-loop stimulation. Compared to the previous studies, the current task is most similar to the versions used in [4] and [7].
The task is built using PsychToolbox and Palamedes. There are also functions for DataPixx from VPixx Technologies.
[1] Linkenkaer-Hansen K, Nikulin VV, Palva S, Ilmoniemi RJ, Palva JM (2004): Prestimulus oscillations enhance psychophysical performance in humans. Journal of Neuroscience 24(45):10186–10190.
[2] Palva S, Linkenkaer-Hansen K, Näätänen R, Palva JM (2005): Early neural correlates of conscious somatosensory perception. Journal of Neuroscience 25(21):5248–5258.
[3] Monto S, Palva S, Voipio J, Palva JM (2008): Very slow EEG fluctuations predict the dynamics of stimulus detection and oscillation amplitudes. Journal of Neuroscience 28(33):8268–8272.
[4] Palva JM, Zhigalov A, Hirvonen J, Korhonen O, Linkenkaer-Hansen K, Palva S (2013): Neuronal long-range temporal correlations and avalanche dynamics are correlated with behavioral scaling laws. Proceedings of the National Academy of United States of America 110(9):3585–3590.
[5] Palva JM, Palva S (2011): Roles of multiscale brain activity fluctuations in shaping the variability and dynamics of psychophysical performance. Progress in Brain Research 193:335–350.
[6] Palva JM, Palva S (2012): Infra-slow fluctuations in electrophysiological recordings, blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals, and psychophysical time series. NeuroImage 62(4):2201–2211.
[7] Lobier M, Palva JM, Palva S (2018): High-alpha band synchronization across frontal, parietal, and visual cortex mediates behavioral and neuronal effects of visuospatial attention. NeuroImage 165:222–237.