Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Newborn brain scans from the Developing Human Connectome Project are now available online in large-scale open-source project, clarifying how some diseases develop.

The Developing Human Connectome Project (dCHP) has performed ground-breaking Magnetic Resonance (MR) brain scans of over 800 newborn babies. A collaboration between King’s College London, Imperial College London and the University of Oxford, the images are the team's third open-source large-scale data release of this project, uncovering how wiring and function of the brain develops during pregnancy and after birth, shedding light on how diseases like autism develop, and how problems in pregnancy affect brain growth. 

This is the result of many years hard coordinated work across our three universities, and has resulted in the most amazing, rich data on how the brain develops just before and after birth. We're very excited to release the dataset to the international research community.
- Professor Stephen Smith, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging

These new scans complete a neonatal dataset of brain images and associated clinical data. The imaging data includes structural imaging, structural connectivity data (diffusion MRI) and functional connectivity data (resting-state fMRI).  

Professor David Edwards, corresponding principal investigator, believes that, with the data from this release, researchers can map the effects of many factors on brain development, for instance examining the effects of air pollution or maternal health on the developing brain.  

'We have health outcome data, so researchers can also look at how the brain at birth predicts what you are like later on,' he said. 

This data release comes with simple accompanying metadata: sex, age at birth, age at scan, birthweight, head circumference and radiology score. Future data releases will provide foetal images (imaging babies in the womb), more detailed ancillary data as well as genetic and clinical data.  

For these scans, most of the babies were imaged while naturally asleep. If the baby woke up, scanning was stopped and attempts made to resettle before proceeding. If a baby moved, the team ensured all the data was motion corrected, largely using methods developed specifically for the dHCP project, in order to produce highly detailed and rich information on brain development. 

Currently the researchers are analysing the images to ask questions about how the brain develops, how air pollution might affect brain growth as a foetus or as a new-born, and whether early birth negatively affects brain development.  

The research consortium is funded by a €15 million Synergy grant from the European Research Council. The aim is to ensure data is shared as widely as possible. Future releases will include data from babies still in the womb as well as information on children’s genes and their abilities as they grow up. 

Researchers are able to download the data pack now

Similar stories

Viewing self-harm images on the internet and in social media usually causes harm, according to new review

Clinical researchers have reviewed the international research evidence regarding the impact of viewing images of self-harm on the internet and in social media.

Can humans hibernate?

Illuminating new TEDx Talk from Professor of Sleep Physiology Vladyslav Vyazovskiy

European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases launches repository of cohorts for researchers

The new Cohort Catalogue will facilitate discovery of over 60 neurodegeneration research cohorts from 17 countries across Europe

New insights into chemogenetic designer drugs to enhance our study of behaviour

A collaborative team of researchers in DPAG and Pharmacology led by Dr Lukas Krone have uncovered striking new data demonstrating that two widely used designer drugs used to turn populations of neurons on and off in the brain cause unexpected effects on sleep. These results demonstrate a critical need to improve chemogenetic approaches in behavioural studies.

Researchers win UK Dementia Research Institute Grand Challenge Award to identify early signs of Alzheimer's

The MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit has received funding for a multi-year research partnership designed to advance the understanding of early changes to the operations of brain circuits in Alzheimer's disease.

Ensuring LGBTQI+ people are treated fairly in mental health data

Andrey Kormilitzin outlines a new participatory study aimed at improving AI to take account of LGBTQI+ people so that their needs are better met by mental health services.