Research Tools

Casa Colina’s Research Institute is committed to both high data standards and appropriate methodology for all research projects. Below are tools and software that help our researchers conduct and manage aspects of a research study.

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that detects electrical activity in your brain using small, flat metal discs (electrodes) attached to your scalp. Your brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even when you’re asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording. An EEG can determine changes in brain activity that may be useful in diagnosing brain disorders, especially epilepsy.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within your body. The MRI machine can also be used to produce 3-D images that may be viewed from many different angles. MRI – Siemens MAGNATOM Verio 3.0T Magnet is used at Casa Colina’s Diagnostic Imaging Center.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is the technique that detects how water travels along the white matter tracts in the brain. White matter tracts connect different parts of the brain and must be protected during surgery.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neurostimulation (also known as neuromodulation) where very low levels of constant current are delivered to specifically targeted areas of the brain.

Medical statistics

Statistical support for research is a key component to the following areas:

  • Study Design and Proposal Writing
  • Study Implementation and Management
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Publishing and Communication

Some of the statistical software that Casa Colina’s researchers use is:

  • R is a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics.
  • MATLAB combines a desktop environment tuned for iterative analysis and design processes with a programming language that express matrix and array mathematics directly.
  • JMP software from SAS reveals insights that raw tables of numbers or static graphs tend to hide.
  • GraphPad Prism combines scientific graphing, comprehensive curve fitting (nonlinear regression), understandable statistics, and data organization.

Data Collection

  • REDCap is a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases. REDCap was developed at Vanderbilt University and works as a consortium composed of mainly academic institutions.

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