                         VBMEG
       (Variational Bayesian Multimodal EncephaloGraphy)

Copyright (c) 2011, ATR All Rights Reserved.
=============================================================
This file gives a brief introduction about VBMEG.
In this document, "$VBMEG" indicates a directory where the VBMEG is installed.
Details can be found in the $VBMEG/docs.

[Overview]
  VBMEG is a free MATLAB toolbox that solves the M/EEG inverse problem using 
  hierarchical Bayesian estimation (Sato et al., 2004). 

  Using VBMEG one can:
  - Import cortical surface model created by other software packages (FreeSurfer, BrainVoyager)
  - Import M/EEG data (Yokogawa, Biosemi).
  - Import fMRI activities (statistical parametric map) calculated with SPM2/5/8.
  - Calculate M/EEG forward model (leadfield).
  - Estimate M/EEG inverse filter.
  - Estimate cortical current.

[Required software]
  MATLAB version 7 or later.

[MEX-recompile]
  Run these functions after setting up mex command.
  vb_mex_compile_utility.m
  vb_mex_compile.m

[Installation & Launching]
  At first, you have to copy the VBMEG library to any directory you like.
  Execute the following MATLAB commands on $VBMEG directory.
  > addpath(fullpath_to_vbmeg); 
  > vbmeg;

  Command for launching GUI
  > project_mgr;

[Developer]
  ATR Neural Information Analysis Laboratories.

[Website]
  ATR Neural Information Analysis Laboratories.
     Department of Computational Brain Imaging.
      http://cns.atr.jp/cbi
  VBMEG software:
      http://vbmeg.atr.jp

[License]
  - New BSD License(see VBMEG_LICENSE.txt)
  - In this program, external softwares are included 
    in the following directories under the GPL license.
    $VBMEG/external/bioelectromagnetism
                   /eeglab9_0_0_2b
                   /NIFTI
                   /spm2
                   /spm5

    Except for these software, our source files 
    are available under the New BSD License.

[Notice]
  - In this program, the YOKOGAWA library functions for importing 
    YOKOGAWA MEG data into MATLAB are also included in the following directory.

    $VBMEG/external/yokogawa_lib

    These programs are p-compiled version of MATLAB functions 
    and these library functions are kindly provided by YOKOGAWA Co.
    Official version should be downloaded from their website.

    http://www.yokogawa.com/me/me-login-en.htm

    MEX file format and P-file format were changed from MATLAB7.5(R2007b).
    and this library is p-compiled by MATLAB7.5,
    Therefore, the supported version of MATLAB is MATLAB7.5 or later.

[Reference]
If you publish papers using VBMEG, please refer the following papers.

[1] 
M. Sato, T. Yoshioka, S. Kajiwara, K. Toyama, N. Goda, K. Doya K, M. Kawato
Hierarchical Bayesian estimation for MEG inverse problem. 
NeuroImage, 23, 806-826 (2004).

[2]
T. Yoshioka, K. Toyama, M. Kawato, O. Yamashita, S. Nishina, N. Yamagishi, 
M. Sato, 
Evaluation of hierarchical Bayesian method through retinotopic brain 
activities reconstruction from fMRI and MEG signals
NeuroImage, 42, 1397-1413, (2008). 

