Quickstart

This guide will help you get started with the LAION-fMRI dataset quickly.

Getting Access

The LAION-fMRI dataset can be accessed in two ways:

1. Direct AWS Access

  • Direct download from AWS S3 buckets

  • Suitable for downloading entire dataset or specific subjects

  • Provides full control over data storage and management

  • Requires AWS CLI or similar tools

2. Python Package (laion_fmri_dataloader)

  • Streamlined Python interface for data access

  • Built-in data validation and integrity checks

  • Automatic handling of file paths and metadata

  • Convenient for programmatic access and integration into analysis pipelines

Note

Some parts of the dataset require a Data Use Agreement (DUA). Please review the Data Access section for details on accessing restricted data components.

Access Methods

Choose your preferred method for accessing the LAION-fMRI dataset:

Prerequisites:

  • AWS CLI installed: pip install awscli

  • AWS credentials (for restricted data only)

Download entire dataset:

aws s3 sync s3://laion-fmri/ ./laion-fmri-data/ --no-sign-request

Download specific subject:

aws s3 sync s3://laion-fmri/sub-01/ ./laion-fmri-data/sub-01/ --no-sign-request

Download derivatives only:

aws s3 sync s3://laion-fmri/derivatives/ ./laion-fmri-data/derivatives/ --no-sign-request

Note

For restricted data requiring DUA, remove --no-sign-request and configure AWS credentials with appropriate access permissions.

Installation:

pip install laion-fmri-dataloader

Basic Usage:

from laion_fmri_dataloader import LAIONfMRIDataset

# Initialize dataset
dataset = LAIONfMRIDataset(data_dir='./laion-fmri-data')

# Download specific subject
dataset.download_subject('sub-01')

# Load functional data
func_data = dataset.load_functional('sub-01', task='experiment', run=1)

# Load stimulus metadata
stimuli = dataset.load_stimuli()

print(f"Functional data shape: {func_data.shape}")
print(f"Number of stimuli: {len(stimuli)}")

With authentication (restricted data):

# Configure credentials
dataset = LAIONfMRIDataset(
    data_dir='./laion-fmri-data',
    aws_access_key='YOUR_ACCESS_KEY',
    aws_secret_key='YOUR_SECRET_KEY'
)

# Download restricted components
dataset.download_subject('sub-01', include_restricted=True)

Quick Example

Loading fMRI Data

import nibabel as nib

# Load a functional MRI scan
fmri_img = nib.load('path/to/sub-01/func/sub-01_task-experiment_bold.nii.gz')
fmri_data = fmri_img.get_fdata()

print(f"Data shape: {fmri_data.shape}")

Working with Stimulus Data

import pandas as pd

# Load stimulus information
stimuli = pd.read_csv('path/to/stimuli/stimulus_metadata.csv')
print(stimuli.head())

Next Steps