Overview

To use neurotic, first organize your datasets in a metadata file like this (see Configuring Metadata):

my favorite dataset:
    description: This time it actually worked!

    data_dir:           C:\local_dir_containing_files
    remote_data_dir:    http://myserver/remote_dir_containing_downloadable_files  # optional
    data_file:          data.axgx
    video_file:         video.mp4
    # etc

    video_offset: -3.4  # seconds between start of video and data acq
    epoch_encoder_possible_labels:
        - label01
        - label02
    plots:
        - channel: I2
          ylim: [-30, 30]
        - channel: RN
          ylim: [-60, 60]
        # etc

    filters:  # used only if fast loading is off (lazy=False)
        - channel: Force
          lowpass: 50
        # etc
    amplitude_discriminators:  # used only if fast loading is off (lazy=False)
        - name: B3 neuron
          channel: BN2
          units: uV
          amplitude: [50, 100]
        # etc

another dataset:
    # etc

Open your metadata file in neurotic and choose a dataset. If the data and video files aren’t already on your local computer, the app can download them for you, even from a password-protected server. Finally, click launch and the app will use a standard viewer layout to display your data to you using ephyviewer.

Screenshot

(Pictured above is a voracious Aplysia californica in the act of making the researcher very happy.)

The viewers are easy and intuitive to navigate (see User Interface):

  • Pressing the play button will scroll through your data and video in real time, or at a higher or lower rate if the speed parameter is changed.
  • The arrow/WASD keys allow you to step through time in variable increments.
  • Jump to a time by clicking on an event in the event list or a table entry in the epoch encoder.
  • To show more or less time at once, right-click and drag right or left to contract or expand time.
  • Scroll the mouse wheel in the trace viewer or video viewer to zoom.
  • The epoch encoder can be used to block out periods of time during which something interesting is happening for later review or further analysis (saved to a CSV file).
  • All panels can be hidden, undocked, stacked, or repositioned on the fly.

Electrophysiologists will find this tool useful even if they don’t need the video synchronization feature!

Portability is easy with neurotic! Use relative paths in your metadata file along with a remotely accessible data store such as GIN to make your metadata file fully portable. The same metadata file can be copied to a different computer, and downloaded files will automatically be saved to the right place. Data stores can be password protected and neurotic will prompt you for a user name and password. This makes it easy to share the neurotic experience with your colleagues! 🤪