diff --git a/examples/dummy.py b/examples/dummy.py
index 752e1e2..8a489a9 100644
--- a/examples/dummy.py
+++ b/examples/dummy.py
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ def to_json(sources):
     return json.dumps({k: str(s) for k, s in sources.items()}, indent=4)
 
 
+def data2stc(data, src):
+    vertno = [s["vertno"] for s in src]
+    return mne.SourceEstimate(
+        data=data, vertices=vertno, tmin=0, tstep=0.01, subject="fsaverage"
+    )
+
+
 # Load the head model
 fs_dir = Path("~/mne_data/MNE-fsaverage-data/fsaverage/")
 fwd_path = fs_dir / "bem_copy" / "fsaverage-oct6-fwd.fif"
@@ -44,6 +51,17 @@ def to_json(sources):
 fwd = mne.convert_forward_solution(fwd, force_fixed=True)
 fwd = mne.pick_channels_forward(fwd, info.ch_names, ordered=True)
 
+# Create a dummy stc for std based on the y-position of the sources
+ypos = np.hstack([1 - 8 * np.abs(s["rr"][s["inuse"] > 0, 1]) for s in src])
+std_stc = data2stc(ypos, src)
+std_stc.plot(
+    subject="fsaverage",
+    hemi="split",
+    views=["lat", "med"],
+    clim=dict(kind="value", lims=[0, 1, 2]),
+    transparent=False,
+)
+
 sim = SourceSimulator(src)
 
 sim.add_noise_sources(location=select_random, location_params=dict(n=10))
@@ -54,8 +72,9 @@ def to_json(sources):
     waveform=narrowband_oscillation,
     location_params=dict(n=3),
     waveform_params=dict(fmin=8, fmax=12),
-    std=[1, 1, 10],
+    std=std_stc,
     names=["s1", "s2", "s3"],
+    extents=10,
 )
 
 # Set coupling
diff --git a/src/meegsim/_check.py b/src/meegsim/_check.py
index cc21556..3b75886 100644
--- a/src/meegsim/_check.py
+++ b/src/meegsim/_check.py
@@ -593,3 +593,16 @@ def check_extents(extents, n_sources):
                 )
 
     return extents
+
+
+def check_stc_as_param(stc, src):
+    for src_idx, s in enumerate(src):
+        common = np.intersect1d(stc.vertices[src_idx], s["vertno"], assume_unique=True)
+
+        missing_vertno = set(s["vertno"]) - set(common)
+        if missing_vertno:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"The provided stc does not contain all vertices of the "
+                f"source space that used for simulations. Missing vertices: "
+                f"{", ".join(list(missing_vertno))}"
+            )
diff --git a/src/meegsim/snr.py b/src/meegsim/snr.py
index cddba8e..4dd8207 100644
--- a/src/meegsim/snr.py
+++ b/src/meegsim/snr.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def _adjust_snr_local(src, fwd, tstep, sources, source_groups, noise_sources):
         )
 
         # Adjust the amplitude of each source in the group to match the target SNR
-        for name, target_snr in zip(sg.names, sg.snr):
+        for name, target_snr in zip(sg.names, sg.snr, strict=True):
             s = sources[name]
 
             # NOTE: taking a safer approach for now and filtering
diff --git a/src/meegsim/source_groups.py b/src/meegsim/source_groups.py
index d79e4ee..9b57742 100644
--- a/src/meegsim/source_groups.py
+++ b/src/meegsim/source_groups.py
@@ -3,15 +3,18 @@
 defined by the user until we actually start simulating the data.
 """
 
-from ._check import (
+import mne
+
+from meegsim._check import (
     check_location,
     check_waveform,
     check_numeric_array,
     check_snr_params,
+    check_stc_as_param,
     check_names,
     check_extents,
 )
-from .sources import PointSource, PatchSource
+from meegsim.sources import PointSource, PatchSource
 
 
 def generate_names(group, n_sources):
@@ -141,7 +144,10 @@ def create(
             "SNR", snr, n_sources, bounds=(0, None), allow_none=True
         )
         snr_params = check_snr_params(snr_params, snr)
-        std = check_numeric_array("std", std, n_sources, bounds=(0, None))
+        if isinstance(std, mne.SourceEstimate):
+            check_stc_as_param(std, src)
+        else:
+            std = check_numeric_array("std", std, n_sources, bounds=(0, None))
 
         # Auto-generate or check the provided source names
         if not names:
@@ -258,8 +264,11 @@ def create(
             "SNR", snr, n_sources, bounds=(0, None), allow_none=True
         )
         snr_params = check_snr_params(snr_params, snr)
-        std = check_numeric_array("std", std, n_sources, bounds=(0, None))
         extents = check_extents(extents, n_sources)
+        if isinstance(std, mne.SourceEstimate):
+            check_stc_as_param(std, src)
+        else:
+            std = check_numeric_array("std", std, n_sources, bounds=(0, None))
 
         # Auto-generate or check the provided source names
         if not names:
diff --git a/src/meegsim/sources.py b/src/meegsim/sources.py
index 36a45dc..55b436d 100644
--- a/src/meegsim/sources.py
+++ b/src/meegsim/sources.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import mne
 
-from .utils import vertices_to_mne, _extract_hemi
+from meegsim.utils import vertices_to_mne, _extract_hemi, get_param_from_stc
 
 
 class _BaseSource:
@@ -175,9 +175,15 @@ def create(
         if data.shape[1] != len(times):
             raise ValueError("The number of samples in waveform does not match")
 
+        # Get the std values if an stc was provided
+        if isinstance(stds, mne.SourceEstimate):
+            stds = get_param_from_stc(stds, vertices)
+
         # Create point sources and save them as a group
         sources = []
-        for (src_idx, vertno), waveform, std, name in zip(vertices, data, stds, names):
+        for (src_idx, vertno), waveform, std, name in zip(
+            vertices, data, stds, names, strict=True
+        ):
             hemi = _extract_hemi(src[src_idx])
             sources.append(
                 cls(
@@ -229,7 +235,10 @@ def __repr__(self):
 
     @property
     def data(self):
-        return np.tile(self.waveform, (len(self.vertno), 1))
+        # NOTE: the scaling factor is introduced to make the total variance of
+        # patch activity invariant to the number of vertices in the patch
+        scaling_factor = 1 / np.sqrt(len(self.vertno))
+        return np.tile(self.waveform, (len(self.vertno), 1)) * scaling_factor
 
     @property
     def vertices(self):
@@ -273,6 +282,7 @@ def create(
         # find patch vertices
         subject = src[0].get("subject_his_id", None)
         patch_vertices = []
+        patch_stds = [] if isinstance(stds, mne.SourceEstimate) else stds
         for isource, extent in enumerate(extents):
             src_idx, vertno = vertices[isource]
 
@@ -288,6 +298,11 @@ def create(
                 subject, vertno, extent, src_idx, subjects_dir=None
             )[0]
 
+            # Get the std values if an stc was provided
+            if isinstance(stds, mne.SourceEstimate):
+                std = get_param_from_stc(stds, [(src_idx, vertno)])
+                patch_stds.append(std)
+
             # Prune vertices
             patch_vertno = [
                 vert for vert in patch.vertices if vert in src[src_idx]["vertno"]
@@ -297,7 +312,7 @@ def create(
         # Create patch sources and save them as a group
         sources = []
         for (src_idx, _), patch_vertno, waveform, std, name in zip(
-            vertices, patch_vertices, data, stds, names
+            vertices, patch_vertices, data, patch_stds, names, strict=True
         ):
             hemi = _extract_hemi(src[src_idx])
             sources.append(
diff --git a/src/meegsim/utils.py b/src/meegsim/utils.py
index 50e0a70..7f76247 100644
--- a/src/meegsim/utils.py
+++ b/src/meegsim/utils.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def combine_stcs(stc1, stc2):
 
     stc = stc1.copy()
     new_data = stc2.data.copy()
-    for vi, (v_old, v_new) in enumerate(zip(stc.vertices, stc2.vertices)):
+    for vi, (v_old, v_new) in enumerate(zip(stc.vertices, stc2.vertices, strict=True)):
         v_common, ind1, ind2 = np.intersect1d(v_old, v_new, return_indices=True)
         if v_common.size > 0:
             # Sum up signals for vertices common to stc1 and stc2
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def combine_stcs(stc1, stc2):
         offsets_old += [len(v_old)]
         offsets_new += [len(v_new)]
 
-    inds = [ii + offset for ii, offset in zip(inserters, offsets_old[:-1])]
+    inds = [ii + offset for ii, offset in zip(inserters, offsets_old[:-1], strict=True)]
     inds = np.concatenate(inds)
     stc.data = np.insert(stc.data, inds, new_data, axis=0)
 
@@ -211,3 +211,13 @@ def vertices_to_mne(vertices, src):
         packed_vertices[src_idx] = src_vertno
 
     return packed_vertices
+
+
+def get_param_from_stc(stc, vertices):
+    values = np.zeros((len(vertices),))
+    offsets = [0, len(stc.vertices[0])]
+    for i, (src_idx, vertno) in enumerate(vertices):
+        idx = offsets[src_idx] + np.searchsorted(stc.vertices[src_idx], vertno)
+        values[i] = stc.data[idx]
+
+    return values
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index 8e95933..55a286c 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def test_extract_hemi():
     )
     expected_hemis = ["lh", "rh", None, None]
 
-    for s, hemi in zip(src, expected_hemis):
+    for s, hemi in zip(src, expected_hemis, strict=True):
         assert _extract_hemi(s) == hemi, f"Failed for {s['type']}"
 
 
diff --git a/tests/utils/prepare.py b/tests/utils/prepare.py
index a36cc62..6502e66 100644
--- a/tests/utils/prepare.py
+++ b/tests/utils/prepare.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def prepare_source_space(types, vertices):
 
     # Create a simple dummy data structure for testing purposes
     src = []
-    for i, (src_type, src_vertno) in enumerate(zip(types, vertices)):
+    for i, (src_type, src_vertno) in enumerate(zip(types, vertices, strict=True)):
         n_verts = len(src_vertno)
 
         # Generate random positions and random normals