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Understanding ethnic diversity in open dementia neuroimaging data sets
Nicholas Yew Wei Heng1, Timothy Rittman1
1Department of Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK.
Brain Communications
|November 29, 2023
Summary
Ethnic diversity in dementia neuroimaging data is limited. Most participants are Caucasian, hindering the development of biomarkers applicable to diverse populations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Ethnic disparities in dementia prevalence and biomarkers are recognized.
- Limited ethnic diversity in study populations poses a challenge for generalizability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess ethnic diversity within open-access neuroimaging datasets for dementia research.
- To quantify representation of different ethnic groups in available data.
Main Methods:
- Included 19 databases with dementia populations and ethnicity data.
- Performed statistical analyses on sample and effect sizes according to Cochrane Handbook guidelines.
- Analyzed data from studies on healthy, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia groups.
Main Results:
- Caucasian participants were the most common (20,547), followed by Afro-Caribbean (1,958) and Asian (1,211).
- Smallest detectable effect sizes varied significantly: 0.03 for Caucasian, 0.1 for Afro-Caribbean, and 0.13 for Asian groups.
- Findings highlight a significant lack of ethnic diversity in openly available dementia neuroimaging datasets.
Conclusions:
- Open-access dementia neuroimaging datasets lack sufficient ethnic diversity.
- Increased representation of diverse ethnic groups is crucial for developing and validating universally relevant biomarkers.
- Addressing data gaps will improve the equity and applicability of dementia research findings.
