Data acquisition model
Table of contents
Introduction
Data acquisition encompasses the diverse range of data types acquired during scientific experiments. These data types are crucial for understanding the complex workings of the brain and nervous system, offering insights into neural function, structure, behavior, and the effects of various interventions. While Data acquisition types share relationships, fields are tailored to the various data types.
Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Type of data acquisition | Type of data acquisition (required). Selected from predefined types. Example: “Extracellular Electrophysiology”. See options below |
Session | Session of the data acquisition (required). Must reference an existing session. Example: “Recording session #3” |
Subject procedures | Related subject procedures (required). Must reference existing procedures. Example: “Silicon probe implant #A123” |
Setup | Setup filter for equipment (optional). Used to filter available equipment by setup. |
Equipment | Equipment used to acquire the data (optional). Must reference existing equipment. Example: “Intan RHD2000” |
Image | Image associated with the data acquisition (optional). |
Notes | Notes about the data acquisition (string). Example: “Good signal quality throughout recording” |
Types of Data acquisition
These are the available type options for Data acquisition:
See the schema for field details: Data acquisition types.
Audio and Behavior Tracking
Audio: Recordings of sounds, vocalizations, or auditory stimuli used to study auditory processing, communication, and sound–behavior relationships.
Behavioral Tracking: Monitoring and quantifying movements, actions, and task responses to link behavior with neural activity, learning, memory, and decision‑making.
Video Tracking: Visual monitoring and analysis of movements and behaviors using video systems; supports pose estimation, activity scoring, and context annotation.
Electrophysiology
Electroencephalography (EEG): Non‑invasive recordings of electrical brain activity from scalp electrodes to study large‑scale dynamics, sleep, sensory processing, and cognition.
Electroneurogram (ENG): Direct recordings of peripheral or central nerve activity to characterize signal propagation, nerve function, and health.
Extracellular Electrophysiology: Recordings of neuronal activity from outside cells for single‑unit and population monitoring, enabling network dynamics and population coding analyses.
Intracellular Electrophysiology: High‑precision measurements from electrodes inside cells to resolve subthreshold events, synaptic inputs, and intrinsic cellular properties.
Optical Imaging
Fiber Photometry: Population‑level calcium or neuromodulator signals measured via fiber‑coupled fluorescence for circuit‑specific activity dynamics.
Miniscope Microscopy: Head‑mounted fluorescence microscopy to image large neuronal populations in freely moving animals, linking naturalistic behavior to neural activity.
Confocal Microscopy: Pinhole‑based optical sectioning for high‑resolution, high‑contrast images and 3D reconstructions of cells and tissue morphology.
Light Field Microscopy: Scanning‑free 3D imaging that captures the full light field for rapid volumetric imaging and circuit‑level reconstructions.
Single-Photon Microscopy: Fluorescence imaging with single‑photon excitation for detailed observation of cellular and subcellular structures in living tissue.
Two-Photon Microscopy: Near‑infrared, two‑photon excitation for deeper imaging in scattering tissue; well‑suited to functional neuronal activity in intact brain.
Three-Photon Microscopy: Nonlinear three‑photon excitation to achieve deeper penetration and high spatial resolution in challenging tissue environments.
Magnetic and Functional Imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Magnetic fields and radio waves generate detailed anatomical images without ionizing radiation; cornerstone for structural brain imaging.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): Indirect measures of brain activity via blood‑flow changes to map functional networks, cognitive states, and sensorimotor processing.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG): Detection of magnetic fields from neuronal activity with high temporal resolution to study real‑time dynamics and functional connectivity.
Tomography and Ultrasound
Computed Tomography (CT): X‑ray‑based cross‑sectional imaging of internal structures for identifying pathologies and structural abnormalities.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): Low‑coherence interferometric imaging for micrometer‑resolution cross‑sections of biological tissue.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET): Radioactive tracers visualize metabolic and physiological processes; widely used for neurotransmitter systems, blood flow, and metabolism.
Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT): Nuclear imaging that captures 3D functional information, often combined with other modalities for comprehensive analysis.
Functional Ultrasound Imaging (fUS): Non‑invasive ultrasound measurement of blood‑flow or metabolic changes related to neural activity, with high spatial and temporal resolution.
General and Time-Series Data
General time-series: Continuous time‑dependent data (e.g., neural firing, physiological signals, behavioral readouts) for analyzing temporal patterns and dynamics.
Permissions
Data acquisition inherits permissions through its associated session.
Visit the permissions page to learn more.
API access
The API allows for programmable access to data acquisition. Learn more about the data acquisition fields and data structure on the data acquisition API page.