Beyond localization: Strategies to analyze simultaneously acquired EEG and fMRI data in pain research

Simultaneous measurement of fMRI and EEG promises new insights into the topography and temporal dynamics of cortical processes and a more precise understanding of the relationship between the two measures. Together with a detailed behavioral analysis, this allows for a better elucidation of cortical pain processing. We applied painful stimulation to 6 healthy subjects and acquired fMRI simultaneously to an EEG measurement. After stimulation, all subjects rated different stimulus properties and the individual situation in the scanner. By applying a principal component analysis to the behavioral data, 2 main facto…