Events (supplemental TTLs)
An average duration (MEAN ± SEM) of each external event occured during execution of the task is given at this Tab. Indeed, during your electrophysiological study (single unit recordings, or whatever) you may need to control some other external parameters, like the duration of button or sensor holding, precise touch timing or/and any kind of kinematic data etc. This additional information could help experimenter to control task execution and might me used to align recording neuronal activity to one of these external event.
Current version of the software supports up to different 6 TTL channles (thus 6 events), however their number mostly depends on the type of DAQ board.
Below, we show one example of their application in our experimental task. The task was the execution of goal-directed movement by left hand of the monkey during recording from premotor cortex (area F5) of the right hemisphere of the brain.
Duration of the trial is 3s. In this time the monkey should reach by his hand the handle of the small door at the box, open it and take the food as a reward. At the figure, together with neuronal activity recorded by electrode you can see some external events characterizing this behavioral task: 1 (green line) - shows that the hand of the monkey is still at its initial position; 2 (pink) - crossing infra-red barrier in front of the door; 3 (upper yellow) - touching the upper sensor of the handle; 4 (lower yellow) - lower sensor of the handle; 5 (red) - main trigger, when both upper and lower sensors of the handle are touched; 6 (blue) - taking the food from the box.
