Getting started with Cyberkinetics data

This getting started guide and the read_neuroshare code are still under development, see http://fieldtrip.fcdonders.nl/development/read_neuroshare. However, we very much welcome you to start using this functionality, and would be happy with any feedback provided.

To read Cyberkinetics data into FieldTrip, you will need the Neuroshare toolbox, see http://www.neuroshare.org. Neuroshare is created to support the collaborative development of open library and data file format specifications for neurophysiology and distribute open-source data handling software tools for neuroscientists.

You will need to download the “Matlab Import Filter” and the Cyberkinetics library files. Currently this will run on WINDOWS platforms only. Make sure all the Neuroshare files are available on the Matlab path.

The low-level FieldTrip reading function that is used to read Cyberkinetics data: fieldtrip/fileio/private/read_neuroshare.m

To get started, you should add the FieldTrip main directory to your path, and execute the fieldtripdefs function, which sets the defaults and configures up the minimal required path settings (see the faq):

addpath <full_path_to_fieldtrip>
fieldtripdefs

To read header information, use:

filename = 'your_cyberkinetics_file.nev';

hdr = ft_read_header(filename, 'headerformat', 'neuroshare');

This calls the neuroshare toolbox and gives back the header structure in FieldTrip format, which includes the original header information (included as hdr.orig) as retrieved with the neuroshare functions ns_GetXXXInfo.

To read events, use:

filename = 'your_cyberkinetics_file.nev';

event = ft_read_event(filename, 'eventformat', 'neuroshare');

This calls the neuroshare toolbox (using the functions ns_GetEventData and ns_GetIndexByTime) and gives back the event structure in FieldTrip format.

To read analog data, use:

filename = 'your_cyberkinetics_file.nev';

data = ft_read_data(filename, 'headerformat', 'neuroshare', 'dataformat', 'neuroshare');

This calls the neuroshare toolbox (using the function ns_GetAnalogData) and gives back the data structure in FieldTrip format.

Optional input arguments should be specified in key-value pairs and may include:

%   'chanindx'   = list with channel indices to read
%   'begsample   = first sample to read
%   'endsample   = last sample to read

To read spike data, use:

filename = 'your_cyberkinetics_file.nev';

spike = ft_read_spike(filename, 'spikeformat', 'neuroshare');

This calls the neuroshare toolbox (using the functions ns_GetSegmentData or ns_GetNeuralData) and gives back the spike structure in FieldTrip format.

• http://neuroshare.org
• http://www.blackrockmicro.com Blackrock Microsystems (formerly the Research Products Division of Cyberkinetics Inc.)