Hi,

Iam novice to EEG research. My research obtains EEG data, which consists of 80 trials. I am epoching (ERP) 80 trials and grouping 10 trials over time (for example, initial 1-10 trials as group 1, second 11-20 trials as group 2, etc.), resulting in a total of 8 trial groups.

My research hypothesis is that the amplitude of ERP (participant attention) increase for the first 6 trial groups and decrease in the last two trial groups over time. Which statistical method can be used to find this pattern in EEG data?? Iam currently using fieldtrip software, Can I use below cluster based permutation tests with contrastcoefs (sum equals zero) match the hypothesis pattern (increase and decrease pattern)?

eg.

cfg = []; cfg.method = 'ft_statistics_montecarlo'; cfg.statistic = 'ft_statfun_depsamplesFmultivariate'; cfg.correctm = 'cluster'; cfg.clusterthreshold = 'nonparametric_common'; cfg.clusterstatistic = 'maxsize'; cfg.latency = [-0.5 1]; cfg.frequency = foi; cfg.tail = 0; cfg.alpha = 0.025; cfg.numrandomization = 1000; cfg.neighbours = []; cfg.ivar = 1; cfg.uvar = 2; cfg.design = [ones(1,totalsubj) ones(1,totalsubj).*2 ones(1,totalsubj).*3;[1:totalsubj] [1:totalsubj] [1:totalsubj]]; cfg.contrastcoefs = [-1.5, -0.5,  0.5, 1.5, 0.5, -0.5];