With the growth of decentralized/federated analysis approaches in neuroimaging, the opportunities to study brain disorders using data from multiple sites has grown multi-fold. One such initiative is the Neuromark, a fully automated spatially constrained independent component analysis (ICA) that is used to link brain network abnormalities among different datasets, studies, and disorders while leveraging subject-specific networks. In this study, we implement the neuromark pipeline in COINSTAC, an open-source neuroimaging framework for collaborative/decentralized analysis. Decentralized analysis of nearly 2000 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets collected at different sites across two cohorts and co-located in different countries was performed to study the resting brain functional network connectivity changes in adolescents who smoke and consume alcohol. Results showed hypoconnectivity across the majority of networks including sensory, default mode, and subcortical domains, more for alcohol than smoking, and decreased low frequency power. These findings suggest that global reduced synchronization is associated with both tobacco and alcohol use. This work demonstrates the utility and incentives associated with large-scale decentralized collaborations spanning multiple sites.
The Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative programme is a ten-year joint initiative consisting of four separate but harmonised intervention studies in Mysore (India), Johannesburg (South Africa), Shanghai (China) and two provinces in Canada. They will test evidence-based multi-faceted interventions spanning from preconception into the postnatal period, to improve maternal, infant and child health, including cardiometabolic and neurocognitive well-being. Similar to the other studies, the India study was based on developmental origins of health and disease principles. However, it had to be adapted to fit in with the local socio-cultural context and government policy. We considered the contextual factors in our setting and undertook extensive engagement and formative work with the local community to develop the intervention package and plan delivery methods. This article describes the process we adopted to set up the India project, develop the intervention package and delivery methods.
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