Implementation of Bayesian multiple comparison correction in the second-level analysis of fMRI data: With pilot analyses of simulation and real fMRI datasets based on voxelwise inference

ABSTRACT

We developed and tested the Bayesian multiple comparison correction method for Bayesian voxelwise second-level fMRI analysis with R. The performance of the developed method was tested with simulation and real image datasets. First, we compared false alarm and hit rates, which were used as proxies for selectivity and sensitivity, respectively, between Bayesian and classical inference methods. For the comparison, we created simulated images, added noise to the created images, and analyzed the noise-added images while applying Bayesian and classical multiple comparison correction methods. Second, we analyzed five real image datasets to examine how our Bayesian method worked in realistic settings. When the performance assessment was conducted, the Bayesian correction method demonstrated good sensitivity (hit rate ≥ 75%) and acceptable selectivity (false alarm rate < 10%) when N ≥ 8. Furthermore, the Bayesian correction method showed better sensitivity compared with the classical correction method while maintaining the aforementioned acceptable selectivity.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple comparison correction
• familywise error
• false positives
• Bayesian inference
• second-level fMRI analysis

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Joonsuk Park and Ian McDonough for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.