A Database of Brains

aarondubrow writes "Researchers recently created OpenfMRI, a web-based, supercomputer-powered tool that makes it easier for researchers to process, share, compare and rapidly analyze fMRI brain scans from many different studies. Applying supercomputing to the fMRI analysis allows researchers to conduct larger studies, test more hypotheses, and accommodate the growing spatial and time resolution of brain scans. The ultimate goal is to collect enough brain data to develop a bottom-up understanding of brain function."

Comments

First Row in the Database

[Anonymous Coward]

Mr. Abbie Normal

Re:First Row in the Database

[Tablizer]

It's good to know your database is in Abbie Normal Form.

Re:First Row in the Database

[nxcho]

If the MRI data is a bit noisy, you could try some Abbie Normalized Convolution.

In other words:

[Tablizer]

A restaurant locator for zombies

Re:In other words:

[binarylarry]

George R R Romero's Zombie Town: A Database of Brains

Re:In other words:

[wooferhound]

We Need More Brains . . .

Re:In other words:

[K. S. Kyosuke]

A restaurant locator for zombies

It's the 21st century. Even zombies like to dine out nowadays. What, are you a stinkin' deathist?

Re:In other words:

[Anonymous Coward]

There's an app for that!

This is promising

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe if we collect enough MRIs into one database, we may finally be able to crunch the data into finding patterns between individual brain maps, which will in turn make brain mapping easier for everyone.

How easy will this be?

[Anonymous Coward]

I imagine that every MRI manufacturer has their own, proprietary software that creates the data from the responses from the MRI. How do these guys cover that hurdle? Anyone in working in the business know?

BTW, if you've never seen an MRI play "Smoke on the Water", search for it -- it's pretty cool (expecially if you've ever had to endure an MRI while having a migraine).

Re:How easy will this be?

[neurogeneticist]

Images are collected in DICOM format (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine), which is an ISO standard for Health Informatics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DICOM

Re:How easy will this be?

[X-Ray Artist]

The DICOM "Standard" is not all that "standard". There so many tags and semi-duplications. You can have two machines using different sections to accomplish similar things and not be able to communicate completely. I work with Medical Imaging and have had several issues with DICOM data being incompatible. We have two DICOM image viewers and sometimes I can't get a DICOM CD to load to one viewer but the other viewer handles it just fine.

Re:How easy will this be?

[idontgno]

I'm developing a rule about standards: Idontgno's Standards Laws.

1. Any standard broad enough to be in wide use is too generic to be useful.
2. Any standard specific enough to be useful is too narrow to be used outside of specific, usually proprietary, implementations.
3. Idontgno's Interoperability Corollary: Interoperability is crap, often by design.

Storage

[HideyoshiJP]

So...PACS plus Supercomputer? Holy IO, Batman! Then again, I don't know that MRIs use that much.

Re:Storage

[SuricouRaven]

An fMRI is basically a voxel video. That's a lot of voxels.

brought to you by

[Anonymous Coward]

Dr. Walter Simeon

How long until the NSA sends a FISC Order?

[EvilSS]

So they can start collecting brain metadata?

Re:How long until the NSA sends a FISC Order?

[PolygamousRanchKid]

The NSA is not just satisfied with reading our mail . . . now they want to read our minds!

Actually, maybe they could determine that certain brain patterns indicate that someone might think about committing an act of terrorism in the future . . . it would be better to lock them up before they think about committing the act . . . predictive law enforcement . . .

'normal'

[globaljustin]

I hate what some of the sciences are doing with fMRI data...it's all interval and case-study data...

They're treating it as if it is some discreet measurement like rainfall or temperature then, if past is prologue, will use it to correlate with behavior.

It's like purchasing your stocks based on how often stock brokers self report getting laid...we know nothing of how the brain waves we measure *actually* correlate to behavior.

First and foremost there is no one single human behavior ontology (defined 'normal') to compare against...it's like having no speed of light to gauge your meter against...

It is not science, but it's 'brain waves' and 'computers' and 'big data' so the first asshat to correlate a fMRI spike with X behavior gets some damn grant from the DoD or NSF or NIH

Dollhouse

[ilikenwf]

Where's Eliza Dushku when you need her?

Isn't this how Dollhouse got imprints?

Porn for Zombies?

[stox]

Sorry, couldn't resist,

Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these

[maroberts]

Another meme rises like a zombie from its grave