Getting started with Neuromat

Leveraging R’s power of making models, we can create a QDEC file from a model formula and a data frame. The function relies on the correct setup of data (categoricals as factors etc), which you would normally do in R.

library(neuromat)

First, we prepare a data.frame. We will use the mtcars data to imagine what we want to do. We will make sure to convert the cyl and gear columns to factors, to prepare ourselves for how to deal with categorical variables in the qdec file.

cars <- mtcars
cars$cyl <- factor(cars$cyl)
cars$gear <- factor(cars$gear)
cars
#>                    mpg cyl  disp  hp drat    wt  qsec vs am gear carb
#> Mazda RX4         21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.620 16.46  0  1    4    4
#> Mazda RX4 Wag     21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.875 17.02  0  1    4    4
#> Datsun 710        22.8   4 108.0  93 3.85 2.320 18.61  1  1    4    1
#> Hornet 4 Drive    21.4   6 258.0 110 3.08 3.215 19.44  1  0    3    1
#> Hornet Sportabout 18.7   8 360.0 175 3.15 3.440 17.02  0  0    3    2
#> Valiant           18.1   6 225.0 105 2.76 3.460 20.22  1  0    3    1
#> Duster 360        14.3   8 360.0 245 3.21 3.570 15.84  0  0    3    4
#> Merc 240D         24.4   4 146.7  62 3.69 3.190 20.00  1  0    4    2
#> Merc 230          22.8   4 140.8  95 3.92 3.150 22.90  1  0    4    2
#>  [ reached 'max' / getOption("max.print") -- omitted 23 rows ]

The model formula

To create a qdec object, we use the make_fs_qdec function, with a formula and the data. The formula decides what variables the qdec file will contain, and will binarise the levels of factors, and scale continuous variables so they have a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. Make sure to include -1 to remove intercept, which would make sure that factors have all levels represented in the qdec file.

make_fs_qdec(cars, mpg ~ -1 + cyl + hp)
#>                     cyl4 cyl6 cyl8       mpgz        hpz
#> Mazda RX4              0    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Mazda RX4 Wag          0    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Datsun 710             1    0    0  0.4495434 -0.7830405
#> Hornet 4 Drive         0    1    0  0.2172534 -0.5350928
#> Hornet Sportabout      0    0    1 -0.2307345  0.4129422
#> Valiant                0    1    0 -0.3302874 -0.6080186
#> Duster 360             0    0    1 -0.9607889  1.4339030
#> Merc 240D              1    0    0  0.7150178 -1.2351802
#> Merc 230               1    0    0  0.4495434 -0.7538702
#> Merc 280               0    1    0 -0.1477738 -0.3454858
#> Merc 280C              0    1    0 -0.3800638 -0.3454858
#> Merc 450SE             0    0    1 -0.6123539  0.4858679
#> Merc 450SL             0    0    1 -0.4630246  0.4858679
#> Merc 450SLC            0    0    1 -0.8114596  0.4858679
#> Cadillac Fleetwood     0    0    1 -1.6078826  0.8504968
#> Lincoln Continental    0    0    1 -1.6078826  0.9963483
#> Chrysler Imperial      0    0    1 -0.8944204  1.2151256
#> Fiat 128               1    0    0  2.0423894 -1.1768396
#> Honda Civic            1    0    0  1.7105465 -1.3810318
#> Toyota Corolla         1    0    0  2.2912716 -1.1914248
#>  [ reached 'max' / getOption("max.print") -- omitted 12 rows ]

If you do not include -1, the model will not expose all levels of factors, but capture the first levels of each factor in the Intercept which will consist of only the value 1.

make_fs_qdec(cars, mpg ~ cyl + hp)
#>                     (Intercept) cyl6 cyl8       mpgz        hpz
#> Mazda RX4                     1    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Mazda RX4 Wag                 1    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Datsun 710                    1    0    0  0.4495434 -0.7830405
#> Hornet 4 Drive                1    1    0  0.2172534 -0.5350928
#> Hornet Sportabout             1    0    1 -0.2307345  0.4129422
#> Valiant                       1    1    0 -0.3302874 -0.6080186
#> Duster 360                    1    0    1 -0.9607889  1.4339030
#> Merc 240D                     1    0    0  0.7150178 -1.2351802
#> Merc 230                      1    0    0  0.4495434 -0.7538702
#> Merc 280                      1    1    0 -0.1477738 -0.3454858
#> Merc 280C                     1    1    0 -0.3800638 -0.3454858
#> Merc 450SE                    1    0    1 -0.6123539  0.4858679
#> Merc 450SL                    1    0    1 -0.4630246  0.4858679
#> Merc 450SLC                   1    0    1 -0.8114596  0.4858679
#> Cadillac Fleetwood            1    0    1 -1.6078826  0.8504968
#> Lincoln Continental           1    0    1 -1.6078826  0.9963483
#> Chrysler Imperial             1    0    1 -0.8944204  1.2151256
#> Fiat 128                      1    0    0  2.0423894 -1.1768396
#> Honda Civic                   1    0    0  1.7105465 -1.3810318
#> Toyota Corolla                1    0    0  2.2912716 -1.1914248
#>  [ reached 'max' / getOption("max.print") -- omitted 12 rows ]

-1 makes sure you get a qdec as expected from the Freesurfer documentation

Keeping original data

You can keep the original data in the qdec file by using the keep argument. This is useful if you want to keep the original data for reference, or if you want to use the qdec file for other purposes than just running a model. By default, keep is FALSE, and by switching to TRUE you keep the original data of the columns in your model.

make_fs_qdec(cars, mpg ~ -1 + cyl + hp, keep = TRUE)
#>                   cyl4 cyl6 cyl8       mpgz        hpz  mpg cyl  hp
#> Mazda RX4            0    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928 21.0   6 110
#> Mazda RX4 Wag        0    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928 21.0   6 110
#> Datsun 710           1    0    0  0.4495434 -0.7830405 22.8   4  93
#> Hornet 4 Drive       0    1    0  0.2172534 -0.5350928 21.4   6 110
#> Hornet Sportabout    0    0    1 -0.2307345  0.4129422 18.7   8 175
#> Valiant              0    1    0 -0.3302874 -0.6080186 18.1   6 105
#> Duster 360           0    0    1 -0.9607889  1.4339030 14.3   8 245
#> Merc 240D            1    0    0  0.7150178 -1.2351802 24.4   4  62
#> Merc 230             1    0    0  0.4495434 -0.7538702 22.8   4  95
#> Merc 280             0    1    0 -0.1477738 -0.3454858 19.2   6 123
#> Merc 280C            0    1    0 -0.3800638 -0.3454858 17.8   6 123
#> Merc 450SE           0    0    1 -0.6123539  0.4858679 16.4   8 180
#>  [ reached 'max' / getOption("max.print") -- omitted 20 rows ]

It is recommended that you also have the base-id’s of the data in their own column, which you can also request to have in the qdec by using the id-column’s name in the keep argument.

cars$type <- row.names(cars) 
make_fs_qdec(cars, 
             mpg ~ -1 + cyl + hp + gear, 
             keep = "type")
#>                   cyl4 cyl6 cyl8 gear4 gear5       mpgz        hpz
#> Mazda RX4            0    1    0     1     0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Mazda RX4 Wag        0    1    0     1     0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Datsun 710           1    0    0     1     0  0.4495434 -0.7830405
#> Hornet 4 Drive       0    1    0     0     0  0.2172534 -0.5350928
#> Hornet Sportabout    0    0    1     0     0 -0.2307345  0.4129422
#> Valiant              0    1    0     0     0 -0.3302874 -0.6080186
#> Duster 360           0    0    1     0     0 -0.9607889  1.4339030
#> Merc 240D            1    0    0     1     0  0.7150178 -1.2351802
#> Merc 230             1    0    0     1     0  0.4495434 -0.7538702
#> Merc 280             0    1    0     1     0 -0.1477738 -0.3454858
#> Merc 280C            0    1    0     1     0 -0.3800638 -0.3454858
#> Merc 450SE           0    0    1     0     0 -0.6123539  0.4858679
#>                                type
#> Mazda RX4                 Mazda RX4
#> Mazda RX4 Wag         Mazda RX4 Wag
#> Datsun 710               Datsun 710
#> Hornet 4 Drive       Hornet 4 Drive
#> Hornet Sportabout Hornet Sportabout
#> Valiant                     Valiant
#> Duster 360               Duster 360
#> Merc 240D                 Merc 240D
#> Merc 230                   Merc 230
#> Merc 280                   Merc 280
#> Merc 280C                 Merc 280C
#> Merc 450SE               Merc 450SE
#>  [ reached 'max' / getOption("max.print") -- omitted 20 rows ]

This can also be a character vector, and let’s you specify which columns to keep.

cars$type <- row.names(cars) 
make_fs_qdec(
  cars, 
  mpg ~ -1 + cyl + hp + gear, 
  keep = c("type", "mpg", "cyl", "hp")
)
#>                   cyl4 cyl6 cyl8 gear4 gear5       mpgz        hpz
#> Mazda RX4            0    1    0     1     0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Mazda RX4 Wag        0    1    0     1     0  0.1508848 -0.5350928
#> Datsun 710           1    0    0     1     0  0.4495434 -0.7830405
#> Hornet 4 Drive       0    1    0     0     0  0.2172534 -0.5350928
#> Hornet Sportabout    0    0    1     0     0 -0.2307345  0.4129422
#> Valiant              0    1    0     0     0 -0.3302874 -0.6080186
#> Duster 360           0    0    1     0     0 -0.9607889  1.4339030
#> Merc 240D            1    0    0     1     0  0.7150178 -1.2351802
#> Merc 230             1    0    0     1     0  0.4495434 -0.7538702
#>                                type  mpg cyl  hp
#> Mazda RX4                 Mazda RX4 21.0   6 110
#> Mazda RX4 Wag         Mazda RX4 Wag 21.0   6 110
#> Datsun 710               Datsun 710 22.8   4  93
#> Hornet 4 Drive       Hornet 4 Drive 21.4   6 110
#> Hornet Sportabout Hornet Sportabout 18.7   8 175
#> Valiant                     Valiant 18.1   6 105
#> Duster 360               Duster 360 14.3   8 245
#> Merc 240D                 Merc 240D 24.4   4  62
#> Merc 230                   Merc 230 22.8   4  95
#>  [ reached 'max' / getOption("max.print") -- omitted 23 rows ]

# Keeping all columns
make_fs_qdec(
  cars, 
  mpg ~ -1 + cyl + hp, 
  keep = names(cars))
#>                   cyl4 cyl6 cyl8       mpgz        hpz  mpg cyl disp  hp drat
#> Mazda RX4            0    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928 21.0   6  160 110 3.90
#> Mazda RX4 Wag        0    1    0  0.1508848 -0.5350928 21.0   6  160 110 3.90
#> Datsun 710           1    0    0  0.4495434 -0.7830405 22.8   4  108  93 3.85
#> Hornet 4 Drive       0    1    0  0.2172534 -0.5350928 21.4   6  258 110 3.08
#> Hornet Sportabout    0    0    1 -0.2307345  0.4129422 18.7   8  360 175 3.15
#>                      wt  qsec vs am gear carb              type
#> Mazda RX4         2.620 16.46  0  1    4    4         Mazda RX4
#> Mazda RX4 Wag     2.875 17.02  0  1    4    4     Mazda RX4 Wag
#> Datsun 710        2.320 18.61  1  1    4    1        Datsun 710
#> Hornet 4 Drive    3.215 19.44  1  0    3    1    Hornet 4 Drive
#> Hornet Sportabout 3.440 17.02  0  0    3    2 Hornet Sportabout
#>  [ reached 'max' / getOption("max.print") -- omitted 27 rows ]

Plotting the qdec

Visualise the qdec file with the plot function. This is a good way to confirm what you expect the data to look like.

qdec <- make_fs_qdec(cars, 
                     mpg ~ -1 + cyl + hp + gear)
plot(qdec)