How does Brain-CODE handle MRI data?
A component of the magnetic resonance image (MRI) that captures a high-resolution 3-dimensional (3D) grey coloured image of the participant’s face and head is considered to be Personal Health Information.
These images are important for some types of analysis by the investigators, so they will be input into Zone 1 of Brain-CODE where only the researcher who obtained the participant’s consent, and their collaborators can access them.
Before this image can be accessed by researchers outside of this study, it will be “de-faced” in the transition from Zone 1 to Zone 2 on Brain-CODE. This means that the pixels in the high-resolution 3D image that correspond to the participant’s facial features are deleted.
Some older consent forms stated that identifiable data will not be uploaded to Brain-CODE. However, the understanding of identifiable data at the time the consent forms were written included text-based identifiable data such as the participant’s name and address, which will not be sent to Brain-CODE. Identifiable in these older consent forms was not meant to refer to these high-resolution 3D images.
The Ontario Brain Institute has worked with investigators to clarify this with the Research Ethics Boards (REBs): This was confirmed with the REBs prior to allowing any data to be uploaded to Brain-CODE.
If you have any questions, please contact governance@braincode.ca.