Global Project Maps Eight Psychiatric Disorders Using 94,000 Brain Scans
Researchers from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute at the Keck School of Medicine of USC are leading a five-year initiative to analyze how eight common psychiatric conditions affect brain function. Backed by a $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the Global Initiative for Harmonized Functional MRI in Psychiatry will examine over 94,000 brain scans gathered from 257 research sites across 27 countries, involving participants ranging from 4 to 95 years old.
The project evaluates schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and anorexia nervosa. According to investigators, it marks the largest functional MRI study ever conducted in terms of participant volume and participating laboratories.
Standardizing Data Across International Research Sites
Previous research into individual psychiatric conditions has largely occurred in isolation, with separate laboratories employing distinct tools and analytical approaches. Eight international research groups focusing on specific disorders have agreed to use a shared software pipeline. Frank Hillary, PhD, professor of psychology and neurology at The Pennsylvania State University, emphasized the value of unified methods.
Resting-State MRI Tracks Brain Network Connectivity
The investigation utilizes resting-state functional MRI, which records brain activity while participants lie quietly in a scanner. The technology tracks minute shifts in blood oxygen levels as different brain regions activate. When two regions fluctuate in tandem, researchers identify them as functionally connected.
Recent scientific findings highlight specific functional networks associated with attention, rumination, and planning. Mental illness often disrupts the complex switching and interaction patterns between these networks. While smaller studies have identified connection differences in psychiatric patients, detecting subtle effects required larger sample sizes and uniform scanning procedures. The massive scale of the new dataset also enables researchers to apply artificial intelligence methods designed to detect patterns that elude smaller studies.
International Researchers Analyze Medication Response and Connectivity
The research team will analyze how medications such as lithium and antipsychotics relate to variations in functional dynamics and connectivity. Arthur W. Toga, PhD, director of the Stevens INI, highlighted the cooperative nature of the undertaking. The leadership team comprises 17 institutions across the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Australia, with funding provided by the National Institute of Mental Health under award number R01MH142539.