BESA Statistics 1.0

CE certified software for cross-subject statistics of EEG/MEG data

BESA Statistics is an intuitive tool for computing statistical analyses of EEG and MEG results analyzed with BESA or other EEG analysis software.  It is free standing, and does not require a BESA license.  This new module solves one of the most difficult challenges faced by every scientist using EEG / ERP - it sumounts differences in individual anatomy, electrode positioning with respect to underlying anatomoy, physiological data quality, missing values and more to provide insight into experimental effects in an intuitive and familiar 2D / 3D context consistent with the overall design philosophy of BESA..

Intuitive Workflow: Optimized for data type 

The following data can be read:

• Event-related potentials / fields (ERP/F)
• Image data, e.g. LORETA, beamforming
• Time-frequency data, e.g. temporal-spectral evolution, coherence, inter-trial phase-locking
• Source waveforms

Preliminary Statistics: For defining regions of interest

• Two groups (e.g. patients, controls) or conditions within the same group of subjects (e.g. time 1, time 2) can be compared
• Initial paired or unpaired Student‘s T-tests are calculated and visualized
• Based on these preliminary T-tests regions of interest can be defined that are passed on to permutation testing

Cross-Subject Statistics based on Permutation Tests: Significant clusters in time, space and frequency are determined

• BESA Statistics will determine significant clusters in time and if applicable space and frequency that show robust differences between groups / conditions
• Clusters will be probed for significance by permutation testing
• Results are corrected for multiple comparisons

Visualization of Significant Data Clusters: Suitable for publications

• Significant data clusters are visualized in categories (highly significant, significant,trend)
• Statistical values can directly be used in scientific reports without further analysis
• Pictures of statistical analysis are suitable for publications.

Additional Important Details

• BESA Statistics is a stand-alone program that works with BESA versions 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3, but it can also read data from analysis programs other than BESA Research.

• BESA Statistics runs only with the new HASP dongles provided with BESA 5.3.  If you already have a HASP key, the BESA Statistics module can be activated electronically. If you are not yet using BESA 5.3, then you will see a new HASP key in your quote.  The new HASP keys cannot be programmed with BESA versions 5.1 and 5.2, so unless you upgrade an older version to BESA 5.3 you will have to work with two keys in the mean time.