Together with other independent groups, we are in the process of generating simulated datasets to model interplay of brain, behavior, and cognition. We would like to discuss with the community what would be the most useful elements in the simulated data.

Neuroimaging has contributed considerably to our understanding of brain development and its relationship to cognition and behavior. With increasing availability of longitudinal studies, we can apply statistical models to longitudinal datasets to study the temporal trajectories of development and disease progression. However, despite advancements in neuroimaging, replicability in research remains a key issue and there is no gold standard to evaluate neuroanatomical correlates of cognition, behavior, and their interplay. Simulated datasets are one way that we can test hypotheses and assess whether our current models can capture the complex brain-behavior relationship. Our group along with others are currently in the process of generating synthetic data based on how each group thinks about development. The data will be released to the community where different longitudinal models can be tested and underlying assumptions can be extracted. After a year, the code that was used to generate the data will be released. We plan to have a symposium or a contest regarding the best approaches approximately a year after the initial data release.

OSR 2023 | Emergent Session: Discuss ideas for longitudinal simulated datasets for interplay of brain, behavior, and cognition