Switch Task (MMY4, SPA)

Also known as nBMSI n-Back Multi-Source Interference. Original used MMY4 but with 3rd n-back trial type.

Code shared publicly at https://github.com/labneurocogdevel/MMY4 written in matlab with Psychtoolbox and adapted for EEG with psycyhopy/python

Bart's 2016 WPIC poster on the task: Brain state expression and cognitive flexibility in adolescence and young-adulthood

See Switch Task at 7T

On the behavioral task computer, open Matlab ¹⁾ and run nBMSI LUNAID RUNTYPE.

LUNAID should be the participants 5 digit lunaid and RUNTYPE is green, red, or in/cog1 to in/cog6

The desktop icon will launch matlab in the correct directory. Launching matlab is slow

Practice for lunaid 12345 looks like

cd C:\Users\localadmin\Desktop\SPASwitch_Cog_Inf
nBMSI 12345 green practice
nBMSI 12345 red practice
nBMSI 12345 in/cog1 practice

and actually running like

cd C:\Users\localadmin\Desktop\SPASwitch_Cog_Inf
nBMSI 12345 green
nBMSI 12345 red
nBMSI 12345 in/cog1
nBMSI 12345 in/cog2
nBMSI 12345 in/cog3
nBMSI 12345 in/cog4
nBMSI 12345 in/cog5
nBMSI 12345 in/cog6

In the matlab command window, to save time and keep inputs consistent look to keyboard shortcuts:

• up arrowkey to pull previously run commands.
• ctrl+left arrow and ctrl+right arrow move the input text cursor by word.
• Shift+ctrl+left to highlight a word (and type over it to replace)

• use the Escape key to quit early.
• if something goes very wrong: Alt+Tab then Ctrl+c then sca
  1. Hold Alt and tap Tab until the matlab icon is selected
  2. Hold Control and tap c (Ctrl+c).
  3. type (blindly) sca and then hit enter

An error may move matlab's working directory to the wrong path (esp. into private). You'll get the error

Undefined function or variable 'nBMSI'.

To fix, cd to the correct directory

cd C:\Users\localadmin\Desktop\SPASwitch_Cog_Inf