Collecting large-scale data from impoverished communities

People are diverse, and the environments they live in may influence them differently. This broad diversity increases the need for neuroimaging studies that collect data from large communities. In a new eNeuro paper, Tara Thiagarajan, from Sapiens Labs, and colleagues showcase the feasibility of going to low- and middle-income communities and collecting large-scale, high-quality data. 

In their paper, the authors share the methods they used to create two ongoing data acquisition programs in India and Tanzania. These programs provide nonspecialist training, structured teams, and automated data quality monitoring. So far, the programs have collected data from 7,933 participants over a period of 30 weeks. Not only is the data quality comparable to datasets from controlled lab settings, but test subject costs are also substantially lower, demonstrating the cost effectiveness of the programs.  

This study highlights the potential for implementing scalable neuroimaging research in low- and middle-income countries that previously was not possible. While the data from this study are not currently openly shared, the researchers have a goal of sharing their data in real time on a day-to-day basis by 2026. Adds Thiagarajan, “This work opens up a new way of understanding humanity and how the environment is shaping human beings.” 

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About eNeuro 

eNeuro is an online, open-access journal published by the Society for Neuroscience. Established in 2014, eNeuro publishes a wide variety of content, including research articles, short reports, reviews, commentaries and opinions. 

About The Society for Neuroscience 

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.