Day 5: Numb from Numbers

Did you know the brain has no pain receptors? So during brain surgeries, you're wide awake...

I spent this morning analyzing data using Excel spreadsheets! Oh the joy from putting numbers together using Excel functions and getting new numbers to put together to get new numbers. It didn't take me long though--about an hour for 2 Excel documents filled with data. Each Excel document had 6 books, one for each "block," which represents the time in which the subject was not taking a break. During testing, in between each block was a break period for the subject for him/her to relax.

Image intentionally made illegible for confidentiality reasons.
The red font represents data that just wasn't good enough.

This is a snapshot of the Excel document showing Block 6. For each block, I use all the data on the left and average the MEP values for different sets of conditions, different sets of times where the TMS pulse came in, and for each muscle. The 3 times of conditions are Digit (position), Pa&Fc (position and force), and Baseline. And the different times for the TMS (TMS time) are 500, 750, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500 ms. The main muscles examined in the trials are the index finger muscle (FDI), the thumb muscle (APB), and the forearm muscle (FCR). The pinky finger muscle (ADM) was also examined as a control. The light green in the image contains the averages at every possible combination of condition and TMS time for each muscle. Below the green are the normalized MEP values. Normalized MEP values are divided by the Baseline so they're a percentage. 

This process is repeated for all 6 blocks and compiled into a Summary chart (below).

Image intentionally made illegible for confidentiality reasons.

This image contains all normalized MEP values from the 6 blocks (on top half, white and gray, copy-pasted from each block). The data to the left of the graph are the averages of the 6 blocks' normalized MEP values for FDI, APB, ADM, and FCR at each TMS time interval. The graph is a representation of the average normalized MEP values. This was my main task, which was actually easier than I expected it to be. I only needed to insert formulas and operations into the cells (the boxes in Excel) and expand it to apply it to other cells, so it was really like a copy-paste task. I question if they actually need me to do all of that or if they don't think they'll need me for anything so they instead give me what they think is busy work. It was actually fun learning about how Excel works, and I can add that to my resume.

I'd say I've done enough work this morning, and now it's time for lunch!