Type I Errors in Whole Brain Voxel-Wise Analyses

Voxel based analyses (VBA), also known as Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM), are commonly used for exploratory analysis of functional or structural neuroimaging data. The popular technique is relatively easy to use and can survey the entire brain but the method yields inconsistent results (Kanaan 2005). It is difficult to challenge the validity of published works and review submissions because the nature of the immense datasets that underlie VBA results prohibits its presentation in journals. In this abstract we use a simple data set to explore sources of type I errors in areas that often yield positive results and present findings that can serve as a guide for critiquing these SPM presentations.