The OpenNeuroPET Archive - A Molecular Neuroimaging Archive
Molecular neuroimaging, e.g., positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT), is an in vivo brain scanning modality that uniquely can be used to investigate neuropharmacological effects and brain diseases in vivo. In the past two decades, we have seen an exponential growth in the scale at which neuroimaging research in psychiatry and neurology takes place in terms of sample size, technology advancements and number of disorders investigated. This has led to a parallel increase in the demand on computing power and need for a standardized platform that can be used for storing, processing and sharing of neuroimaging data. In neuroscience, PET studies have set the stage for measuring brain function in disorders such as depression or Alzheimers Disease, with the goal of developing effective treatment strategies. However, in the past decade there has been a growing concern about the validity and reproducibility of outcomes from such studies, and this has largely been attributed to low statistical power, software errors and flexible data analysis strategies. This is important, because only research that can be trusted will have a real impact on the society. Furthermore, a PET study is extremely costly and it also involves that people are exposed to radiation. That is, for both financial and ethical reasons, data sharing is urgently needed. We here propose establishment of a PET data infrastructure called OpenNeuroPET. The proposed infrastructure will unite the scientific community to enable meta- and mega-analyses of brain imaging data for by creating an expertly labelled, shared-access data repository and processing platform. The main ethos of the OpenNeuroPET will be: open, inclusive, participatory, and democratic. Identifying neuroimaging biomarkers is fundamental to improving our understanding of brain disorders and obtaining objective measures to aid their early diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
The OpenNeuroPET project (DK) is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation as an infrastructure grant, led by Prof. Gitte Moos Knudsen and anchored at the Neurobiology Research Unit at the Copenhagen University Hospital/Rigshospitalet. We collaborate closely with the Molecular Imaging Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on the project.
Project participants:
- Professor Gitte Moss Knudsen (PI), Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital/Rigshospitalet
- Associate Professor Melanie Ganz-Benjaminsen, Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital/Rigshospitalet
- Senior Researcher Cyril Pernet, Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital/Rigshospitalet
- Assistant Professor Martin Nørgaard, Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen
Website
