Hello,

I am interested in merging individual subject maps into a group map for each of several general linear contrasts. For each subject, a regression script calls for and describes the individual stimulus waveforms and then performs certain contrasts among them using -glt.

However due to subject behavior during the task of interest, two subjects "jd" and "sh" did not have events of a certain type to be modeled unlike all the rest. Thus, those subjects have one less model in their bucket regression dataset before the LC bricks are calculated and appended, and therefore the sub-brik number of these subjects is 2 lower than in all the rest. Would the following script (segment) work?

# merge t-warped statistical maps of all adults (n=18)

foreach subject ( jd mk ro sh gp jm0 as ao te zk cs ag tme cm db jp ww sr )

cd ../${subject}*
if ( -e zregression+tlrc.BRIK ) then
rm -rf zregression+tlrc.*
endif
adwarp -apar mergestruct+tlrc -dpar zregression+orig -dxyz 2.0 -prefix zregression
cd ../merge
end
if ( -e carpmerge_adults+tlrc.BRIK ) then
rm -rf carpmerge_adults+tlrc.*
endif

3dmerge -prefix carpmerge_adults -1blur_fwhm 2 -1mult 4.243 -doall \
"../ro072303/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../gp072303/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../as081303/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../ao082003/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../jm082703/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../te092403/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../zk100103/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../cs100103/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../ag100803/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../tme102203/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../cm102203/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../db111203/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../jp120903/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../ww120903/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../sr121003/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../mk012804/zregression+tlrc[45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73,75]" \
"../sh072303/zregression+tlrc[43,45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73]" \
"../jd012804/zregression+tlrc[43,45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67,69,71,73]" \



Note sh and jd-- their comma-delimited linear contrast [LC] sub-brik numbers (in listed order) correspond to the LC sub-brik numbers of the rest of the subjects (in listed order), such that subbrik 47 of subject mk is the same event contrast as sub-brik 45 of subject sh. In addition, the respective regression scripts give that contrast the same name with -glt_label.

My question is, will 3dMerge blend sh and jd with the others as I intend? I launched this script and it seems like this worked and yielded a new bucket dataset with exactly 16 maps, but I would like to make sure. I suppose I could incorporate some massive use of 3drefit in the script for sh and jd to bump up their sub-brik numbers to match the others, but I want to know if AFNI/3dmerge just blends them in listed order regardless of numbering.

Please advise.

Jim B