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Summary​

The FHS Brain Aging Program has and continues to collect multiple digital data phenotypes that include:​

  • Brain MRI scans in their native form (e.g., DICOM images), collected since 1999
  • Digital voice recordings of the neuropsychological test protocol, collected since 2005
  • Digital pen recordings of written responses to the neuropsychological test protocol

Separately, through the NHLBI funded contract, FHS-BAP has assisted in the collection and post-collection processing of additional raw digital data files that include:​

  • Digital voice recordings of the cognitive screening tests (e.g., CERAD List Learning, Victoria Stroop) for the Gen 3/OmniGen 2/NOS participants who attended Health Exams 2, 3
  • Digital pen recordings of written responses from the cognitive screening test (e.g., MMSE) for the Gen 2/OmniGen 1 participants who attended Health Exam 10.
  • Digital pen recordings of written responses from the cognitive screening test (e.g., MoCA) are currently being collected as part of the Gen 3/OmniGen 2/NOS Health Exam 4

From other ancillary studies:​

  • Digital ECG data from SleepImage wearable, collected between 2016-2018
  • Dardiac MRI scans, collected from 2002-2006
  • Digital smartphone applications that include screen-based time-stamped features and digital voice recordings are currently being collected as an extension of the Gen 2/OmniGen 1 Health Exam 10 and also as part of the Gen 3/OmniGen 2/NOS Health Exam 4.

In combination across all these different studies, FHS stands unique from virtually any other large scale epidemiologic study in its longitudinal digital data resource. Digital data in its native format represents a new era of science, where “digital is the new blood”. Similar to FHS long history of collecting blood (as well as urine and brain tissue) and banking it for current and future use. The one important difference between blood and other biospecimens and digital is that digital is a non-diluting resource; digital can be used and reused without reducing its size or quantity. As such, analysis of digital can embrace high risk processing without the same level of scrutiny as finite biosamples.