Optimal designs for fMRI experiments

Project executed at: Methodology and Statistics, Department of Health Sciences, Maastricht University

Project: External PhD project, financed by NWO

Project running from: 1 October 2006 – 1 October 2010

Promotores: Prof. dr. M.P.F. Berger, prof. dr. R. Goebel, dr. G.J.P. Van Breukelen

Summary:
Cognitive processes can be studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. Different within subject and between subject designs exist with their own advantages and disadvantages. This research project aims at finding optimal designs for fMRI experiments that have maximal efficiency and maximal power for finding real effects. By means of results from the statistical theory of optimal designs for generalized linear mixed effects models, including both random and fixed parameters together with (auto)correlated errors, the problem of finding optimal designs can be formulated as a nonlinear optimisation problem. The optimal designs will be empirically evaluated with real fMRI data.

Date of defence:  20 April 2011

Title of thesis:  Optimal experimental designs for functional magnetic resonance imaging. ISBN: 978 94 6159 052 7.