CoSpine open access simultaneous cortico-spinal fMRI database of thermal pain and motor tasks

Simultaneous cortico-spinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) enables non-invasive investigation of integrated central nervous system function, but acquisition challenges have restricted the availability of public datasets and slowed the development of advanced analytic methods. Here, we introduce the CoSpine database, the first open-access, BIDS-compliant cortico-spinal task-based fMRI resource (N = 61), acquired using a novel single-field-of-view (FOV) imaging protocol covering the whole brain (including cortical, subcortical, brainstem, and cerebellar regions) and cervical spinal cord. The dataset contains raw images, field maps, physiological recordings, and BIDS event files from thermal pain and voluntary motor tasks. An optimized acquisition and preprocessing framework is provided, validated by quality-control metrics such as temporal signal-to-noise ratio and alignment precision. Spanning a broad age range and standardized paradigms, CoSpine serves as a reference for neuroimaging methods development (e.g., hyperalignment) and for artificial intelligence (AI) model benchmarking. Potential applications include sensorimotor phenotyping, studies of age-related neurodegeneration, and exploratory work in neurorehabilitation, while also supporting early-stage development of brain-computer interface (BCI) systems involving spinal activity and personalized neuromodulation strategies.