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mne_add_patch_info

Overview

mne_add_patch_info adds cortical patch statistics to an existing source space FIFF file. Patch information describes which high-resolution surface vertices are represented by each source space point, enabling more accurate forward and inverse computations.

This is a C++ port of the original MNE-C tool by Matti Hämäläinen.

Usage

mne_add_patch_info [options]

Options

OptionDescription
--src <file>Input source space FIFF file
--out <file>Output source space FIFF file with patch info
--helpPrint help
--versionPrint version

Description

When a decimated source space is created (e.g., with mne_make_source_space), each source point represents a patch of the high-resolution cortical surface. This tool computes and stores the mapping between the high-resolution surface vertices and their nearest source space points, along with patch areas.

This information is used by the forward solver to improve the accuracy of the lead field computation by properly distributing the source current over each patch rather than treating it as a point source.

Workflow Context

Run this tool after creating a source space with mne_make_source_space and before computing the forward solution with mne_forward_solution:

  1. Create source space → mne_make_source_space
  2. Add patch info → mne_add_patch_info
  3. Compute forward solution → mne_forward_solution

Example

# Add patch information to a source space
mne_add_patch_info --src sam-oct-6-src.fif --out sam-oct-6-src-patch.fif