{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T13:16:41Z","timestamp":1790083001580,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]],"date-time":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746576000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003407","name":"Ministero dell\u2019Istruzione, dell\u2019Universit\u00e0 e della Ricerca","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PRIN PNRR 2022 grant P202222P3T"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PRIN PNRR 2022 grant P202222P3T"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003407","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Electroencephalography (EEG) is an established method for investigating neurocognitive functions during human development. In cognitive neuroscience, time-frequency analysis of the EEG is a widely used analytical approach. This paper introduces WTools, a new MATLAB-based toolbox for time-frequency analysis of EEG signals using complex wavelet transformation. WTools features an intuitive GUI that guides users through the analysis steps, focusing on essential parameters. Being free and open-source, it can be integrated and expanded with new features, making it a handy tool that is growing its popularity in developmental cognitive neuroscience. While the default settings follow established pipelines in developmental research, the toolbox also provides the flexibility to accommodate settings more commonly used in adult neuroscience. Here, we provide a detailed description of the WTools algorithm for wavelet transformation and we compare it with state-of-the-art methods implemented in EEGLAB. Alongside the official tool release, we offer a comprehensive, illustrated tutorial with sample infant EEG data designed to support novice users, enhance accessibility and promote the transparent and reproducible usage of WTools.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0323179","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]],"date-time":"2025-05-07T20:04:18Z","timestamp":1746648258000},"page":"e0323179","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["WTools: A MATLAB-based toolbox for time-frequency analysis of infant data"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1946-3884","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ambra","family":"Ferrari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Filippin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Buiatti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4836-6370","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Eugenio","family":"Parise","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]]},"reference":[{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0323179.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e72360","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0072360","article-title":"Neural responses to multimodal ostensive signals in 5-month-old infants","volume":"8","author":"E Parise","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"5496","key":"pone.0323179.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1582","DOI":"10.1126\/science.290.5496.1582","article-title":"Gamma oscillations and object processing in the infant brain","volume":"290","author":"G Csibra","year":"2000","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0323179.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1395","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1460-9568.2002.01975.x","article-title":"Frontal theta activity in humans increases with memory load in a working memory task","volume":"15","author":"O Jensen","year":"2002","journal-title":"Eur J Neurosci"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.7551\/mitpress\/9609.001.0001","volume-title":"Analyzing neural time series data","author":"M Cohen","year":"2014"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2010.00186","article-title":"Shaping functional architecture by oscillatory alpha activity: gating by inhibition","volume":"4","author":"O Jensen","year":"2010","journal-title":"Front Hum Neurosci"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0323179.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"606","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2012.10.007","article-title":"\u03b1-band oscillations, attention, and controlled access to stored information","volume":"16","author":"W Klimesch","year":"2012","journal-title":"Trends Cogn Sci"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0323179.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"704","DOI":"10.1038\/35094565","article-title":"Dynamic predictions: oscillations and synchrony in top-down processing","volume":"2","author":"AK Engel","year":"2001","journal-title":"Nat Rev Neurosci"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0323179.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"390","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2012.05.003","article-title":"Cortical oscillations and sensory predictions","volume":"16","author":"LH Arnal","year":"2012","journal-title":"Trends Cogn Sci"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0323179.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"832","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tins.2023.07.003","article-title":"Gamma oscillations and episodic memory","volume":"46","author":"BJ Griffiths","year":"2023","journal-title":"Trends Neurosci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0323179.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tins.2015.11.004","article-title":"Oscillations and episodic memory: addressing the synchronization\/desynchronization conundrum","volume":"39","author":"S Hanslmayr","year":"2016","journal-title":"Trends Neurosci"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/acrefore\/9780190264086.013.455","article-title":"Neural oscillations in audiovisual language and communication.","volume-title":"Oxford research encyclopedia of neuroscience","author":"L Drijvers","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.1016\/j.conb.2014.07.005","article-title":"The neuroanatomic and neurophysiological infrastructure for speech and language","volume":"28","author":"D Poeppel","year":"2014","journal-title":"Curr Opin Neurobiol"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0323179.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2898","DOI":"10.1002\/hbm.21410","article-title":"Beta oscillations relate to the N400m during language comprehension","volume":"33","author":"L Wang","year":"2012","journal-title":"Hum Brain Mapp"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0323179.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cogbrainres.2003.12.001","article-title":"Mu rhythm modulation during observation of an object-directed grasp","volume":"19","author":"SD Muthukumaraswamy","year":"2004","journal-title":"Brain Res Cogn Brain Res"},{"issue":"Pt 2","key":"pone.0323179.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"637","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2013.05.084","article-title":"Oscillations and the basal ganglia: motor control and beyond","volume":"85 Pt 2","author":"J-S Brittain","year":"2014","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0323179.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1195","DOI":"10.1152\/physrev.00035.2008","article-title":"Neurophysiological and computational principles of cortical rhythms in cognition","volume":"90","author":"X-J Wang","year":"2010","journal-title":"Physiol Rev"},{"issue":"5679","key":"pone.0323179.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1926","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1099745","article-title":"Neuronal oscillations in cortical networks","volume":"304","author":"G Buzs\u00e1ki","year":"2004","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"44","key":"pone.0323179.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12397","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1603261113","article-title":"Infants\u2019 preferences for native speakers are associated with an expectation of information","volume":"113","author":"K Begus","year":"2016","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100810","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dcn.2020.100810","article-title":"The rhythm of learning: theta oscillations as an index of active learning in infancy","volume":"45","author":"K Begus","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dev Cogn Neurosci"},{"issue":"42","key":"pone.0323179.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15271","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0507626102","article-title":"Oscillatory activity in the infant brain reflects object maintenance","volume":"102","author":"J Kaufman","year":"2005","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dcn.2013.08.002","article-title":"What changes in neural oscillations can reveal about developmental cognitive neuroscience: language development as a case in point","volume":"6","author":"MJ Maguire","year":"2013","journal-title":"Dev Cogn Neurosci"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100851","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dcn.2020.100851","article-title":"Intention to imitate: top-down effects on 4-year-olds\u2019 neural processing of others\u2019 actions","volume":"45","author":"M Meyer","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dev Cogn Neurosci"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0323179.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"355","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797610362058","article-title":"Motor system activation reveals infants\u2019 on-line prediction of others\u2019 goals","volume":"21","author":"V Southgate","year":"2010","journal-title":"Psychol Sci"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0323179.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e12562","DOI":"10.1111\/desc.12562","article-title":"Development of infant sustained attention and its relation to EEG oscillations: an EEG and cortical source analysis study","volume":"21","author":"W Xie","year":"2018","journal-title":"Dev Sci"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101067","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dcn.2022.101067","article-title":"Time-frequency analysis methods and their application in developmental EEG data","volume":"54","author":"S Morales","year":"2022","journal-title":"Dev Cogn Neurosci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0323179.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jneumeth.2003.10.009","article-title":"EEGLAB: an open source toolbox for analysis of single-trial EEG dynamics including independent component analysis","volume":"134","author":"A Delorme","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Neurosci Methods"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0323179.ref027","first-page":"361","article-title":"ERPWAVELAB a toolbox for multi-channel analysis of time-frequency transformed event related potentials","volume":"161","author":"M M\u00f8rup","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Neurosci Methods"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref028","first-page":"156869","article-title":"FieldTrip: open source software for advanced analysis of MEG, EEG, and invasive electrophysiological data","author":"R Oostenveld","year":"2011","journal-title":"Comput Intell Neurosci"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2013.00267","article-title":"MEG and EEG data analysis with MNE-python","volume":"7","author":"A Gramfort","year":"2013","journal-title":"Front Neurosci"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2017.01.032","article-title":"Motor activation during action perception depends on action interpretation","volume":"105","author":"B Pomiechowska","year":"2017","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"323","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cortex.2019.05.009","article-title":"Human action sounds elicit sensorimotor activation early in life","volume":"117","author":"E Quadrelli","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cortex"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0323179.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1396","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci11111396","article-title":"Sensorimotor activity and network connectivity to dynamic and static emotional faces in 7-month-old infants","volume":"11","author":"E Quadrelli","year":"2021","journal-title":"Brain Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0323179.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cognition.2013.08.008","article-title":"Belief-based action prediction in preverbal infants","volume":"130","author":"V Southgate","year":"2014","journal-title":"Cognition"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0323179.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1038\/s41398-019-0393-x","article-title":"Increased cortical reactivity to repeated tones at 8 months in infants with later ASD","volume":"9","author":"A Kolesnik","year":"2019","journal-title":"Transl Psychiatry"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0323179.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1111\/infa.12356","article-title":"Explaining individual differences in infant visual sensory seeking","volume":"25","author":"ES Piccardi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Infancy"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107363","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107363","article-title":"Giving, but not taking, actions are spontaneously represented as social interactions: evidence from modulation of lower alpha oscillations","volume":"139","author":"J Yin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bandc.2016.09.010","article-title":"Predictive action tracking without motor experience in 8-month-old infants","volume":"109","author":"CCJM de Klerk","year":"2016","journal-title":"Brain Cogn"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0323179.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108187","DOI":"10.1016\/j.isci.2023.108187","article-title":"Neural oscillations and speech processing at birth","volume":"26","author":"MC Ortiz-Barajas","year":"2023","journal-title":"iScience"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref039","article-title":"EEG oscillations and wavelet analysis.","volume-title":"Event-related potentials: a methods handbook","author":"CS Herrmann","year":"2005"},{"issue":"13","key":"pone.0323179.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4240","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.16-13-04240.1996","article-title":"Stimulus specificity of phase-locked and non-phase-locked 40 Hz visual responses in human","volume":"16","author":"C Tallon-Baudry","year":"1996","journal-title":"J Neurosci"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0323179.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1580","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2006.02.034","article-title":"Mechanisms of evoked and induced responses in MEG\/EEG","volume":"31","author":"O David","year":"2006","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"236","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2011.00236","article-title":"Single-trial normalization for event-related spectral decomposition reduces sensitivity to noisy trials","volume":"2","author":"R Grandchamp","year":"2011","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0323179.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118192","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2021.118192","article-title":"The impact of 1\/f activity and baseline correction on the results and interpretation of time-frequency analyses of EEG\/MEG data: a cautionary tale","volume":"237","author":"M Gyurkovics","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0323179.ref044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"284","DOI":"10.1093\/scan\/nsm025","article-title":"Social perception in the infant brain: gamma oscillatory activity in response to eye gaze","volume":"2","author":"T Grossmann","year":"2007","journal-title":"Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0323179","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]],"date-time":"2025-05-07T20:04:27Z","timestamp":1746648267000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0323179"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Humaira","family":"Nisar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0323179","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]]}}}