Offline vs. Online

[mattrmunson]

Iv been reading alot of papers recently and Iv been wondering, when neuroscientists refer to processes or other phenomena as offline or online, what do they mean?

[StriatumPDM]

In which context is there talked about?

[mattrmunson]

"Therefore, the extent to which PPC can be used to decode trajectories, off-line and during online brain control remains unclear."

"Earlier off-line analyses showed that area 5 neurons are correlated with various motor parameters during reaching movements"

http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/full/28/48/12913?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&titleabstract=posterior+parietal+cortex+%22end+effector%22&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&fdate=1/1/2007&resourcetype=HWCIT

the term off-line is mentioned 33 times in this article. Iv also seen it mentioned elsewhere, probably with a different meaning. If you know of multiple meanings id be interested to know them all.

[Steffen]

Sorry, I've no time to read the article, but perhaps it helps, if I tell you that 'online' and 'offline' can be related to analyses etc. during (online) and before or after experiments (offline). For example Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can be applied online while the participant is performing a task, or the stimulation can happen offline before the actual experiment starts (a temporarily longer effect is induced).