Summary
This large-scale aggregation of 123,984 MRI scans from over 100 primary studies created the first comprehensive reference charts for brain morphology across the human lifespan, analogous to growth charts for anthropometric traits. The charts quantify individual brain structure variation relative to normative trajectories, revealed previously unreported neurodevelopmental milestones, and demonstrated robust standardised measurement of atypical brain structure across diverse neurological and psychiatric conditions. The work establishes an essential open resource for benchmarking individual neuroimaging data against population norms.
UK applicability
These reference standards may inform clinical neuroimaging assessment and research protocols in UK hospitals and universities, though the abstract acknowledges known biases of MRI studies relative to global population diversity, which may limit applicability to certain demographic groups. The open-access resource could support UK-based neurodevelopmental and psychiatric research.
Key measures
Centile scores for brain structural MRI metrics; non-linear trajectories of brain morphological change across the lifespan; heritability of centiled versus non-centiled MRI phenotypes; neuroanatomical variation patterns in neurological and psychiatric disorders
Outcomes reported
The study created interactive reference charts benchmarking brain morphology from MRI scans across 101,457 participants aged 115 days post-conception to 100 years. Brain charts quantified individual differences in neuroimaging metrics via centile scores relative to non-linear lifespan trajectories and identified neurodevelopmental milestones and patterns of neuroanatomical variation across neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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