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Dimensional Connectomics of Anxious Misery

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@data-hcp data-hcp released this 16 May 12:00
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Learn about vigilant mode.

Dimensional Connectomics of Anxious Misery

License

The FIB files are shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If you use these data, please acknowledge the contribution of ACCESS resources: CIS200026 & MED230052.

Per the NDA agreement, I am not permitted to share raw MRI data. However, after consulting with the NDA program lead, I am authorized to share derived data, such as the FIB files. For access to other data, you can request it directly through NDA. Once you have the Data Use Agreement (DUA), feel free to share it with me, and I can provide you with a link to access the SRC files.

Project Overview

Each year, more than 30% of the global population (~2 billion people) and 75 million adult Americans suffer from conditions grouped under the umbrella term “anxious misery.” Despite available treatments, many individuals continue to experience debilitating, chronic symptoms lasting years or even decades.

This project responds to the NIMH’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework and focuses specifically on key constructs within the Negative Valence System (NVS), including:

  • Loss
  • Responses to Sustained Threat

By jointly investigating these constructs, the study aims to disentangle the brain circuitry underlying these dimensions and identify more precise therapeutic targets for disabling symptoms.

Study Objectives

  • Primary Objective:
    Acquire and publicly share a comprehensive multi-modal dataset of brain imaging, behavioral, and genetic data from individuals with anxious misery, along with innovative analytical tools to study brain connectome alterations.

  • Research Hypothesis:
    The severity of responses to sustained threat and loss will correlate with distinct abnormalities in structural and functional brain connectivity. These connectivity patterns are also expected to predict the course of illness over time.

Data Collection Strategy

  • Participants:

    • 200 individuals with anxious misery symptoms
    • 50 healthy controls

  • Recruitment Site:

    • Outpatient Clinics at the University of Pennsylvania

  • Assessments:

    • Neuroimaging using a single Prisma 3T MRI scanner optimized for compatibility with the Human Connectome Project (HCP) protocols

    • Behavioral and neurocognitive assessments including:

      • NIH Toolbox
      • Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery (CNB)

    • Specialized clinical assessments targeting NVS dimensions

    • DNA sample collection for genetic analyses

    • One-year follow-up to assess symptom progression and clinical outcomes

  • Data Quality:

    • Rigorous quality assurance (QA) procedures and harmonization with HCP data standards will ensure high data reliability and usability.

Significance

  • This project will create a publicly available, richly characterized dataset linking behavioral symptoms of anxious misery with brain circuitry changes.
  • Findings will advance our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying anxiety, depression, and related disorders.
  • Results will also provide critical insights into the development of precision medicine approaches for treating these complex conditions, based on individualized brain connectivity profiles.
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