MRI data sharing in psychosis: Key challenges and a new Open Access resource for researchers

Abstract

Despite decades of research, people living with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders still often experience poor functional recovery, and progress in developing new treatments has been unsatisfactory. A major factor in this is that we still only have a limited mechanistic understanding of the underlying biological processes that underlie psychosis. There have been many Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies conducted investigating the brain morphological abnormalities which underpin psychosis risk and development, and how these link to symptoms; although some results have proved replicable, conflicting findings and a lack of clarity are predominant in the literature. This means that we still cannot confidently point to the neuroanatomical markers and mechanisms associated with psychosis risk and symptomology. Knowledge of these is essential, to guide advances in early detection, prognosis, and treatment.