The German research consortium for the study of bipolar disorder (BipoLife): a quality assurance protocol for MR neuroimaging data
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SpringerNature
Abstract
Background: The German multicenter research consortium BipoLife aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying
bipolar disorders. It focuses in particular on people at high risk of developing the disorder and young patients
in the early stages of the disease. Functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data was collected
in all participating centers. The collection of neuroimaging data in a longitudinal, multicenter study requires
the implementation of a comprehensive quality assurance (QA) protocol. Here, we outline this protocol and illustrate
its application within the BipoLife consortium.
Methods: The QA protocol consisted of (1) a training of participating research staff, (2) regular phantom measurements
to evaluate the MR scanner performance and its temporal stability across the course of the study, and (3)
the assessment of the quality of human MRI data by evaluating a variety of image metrics (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio,
ghosting level). In this article, we will provide an overview on these QA procedures and show exemplarily the influence
of its application on the results of standard neuroimaging analysis pipelines.
Discussion: The QA protocol helped to characterize the various MR scanners, to record their performance
over the course of the study and to detect possible malfunctions at an early stage. It also assessed the quality
of the human MRI data systematically to characterize its influence on various analyses. Furthermore, by setting
up and publishing this protocol, we define standards that must be considered when analyzing data from the BipoLife
consortium. It further promotes a systematic evaluation of data quality and a definition of subject inclusion criteria. In
the long term, it will help to increase the chance of achieving clinically relevant results.
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