BRAINS: a brain image databank (renewal)
Research type
Research Database
IRAS ID
249717
Contact name
Joanna M Wardlaw
Contact email
Research summary
BRAINS (Brain Imaging in Normal Subjects): a brain image databank of healthy volunteers (renewal)
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
18/WS/0156
Date of REC Opinion
13 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
This application is for a renewal of the previous approval for a living brain image databank. The BRAINS (Brain Imaging in Normal Subjects) databank is live at www.brainsimagebank.ac.uk.
It stores anonymised brain images and clinical data (e.g. medical history, medication use, performance on physical and mental tests) which have already been collected as part of research studies involving people at all ages (from before birth, to old age), and make them available for use by researchers and clinicians. This requires registration with the website and application to the Steering Committee.People provide informed consent for collection and use of their data when they take part in the original study, and data are provided to BRAINS by the original study team. Members of the study team are on the Steering Committee for BRAINS which meets regularly, and carefully considers every application for data use.
Research programme
The database aims to support research and clinical practice in aspects relating to brain scan appearance, and physical health and cognition across the whole life course, in people without significant disease. All information is from community dwelling people who are not physically or cognitively dependent. without significant disease, but it is difficult to establish who is 'healthy' when many conditions are common, and do not cause impairment, in older age (e.g. hypertension). The information in the database allows users to determine the characteristics of the people included in their search.
Research database title
BRAINS (Brain Imaging in Normal Subjects): a brain image databank of healthy volunteers (renewal)
Establishment organisation
University of Edinburgh
Establishment organisation address
College of Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences, 57 George Square
Edinburgh
EH8 9JU