The ENIGMA Consortium: large-scale collaborative analyses of neuroimaging and genetic data

Abstract

The Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium is a collaborative network of researchers working together on a range of large-scale studies that integrate data from 70 institutions worldwide. Organized into Working Groups that tackle questions in neuroscience, genetics, and medicine, ENIGMA studies have analyzed neuroimaging data from over 12,826 subjects. In addition, data from 12,171 individuals were provided by the CHARGE consortium for replication of findings, in a total of 24,997 subjects. By meta-analyzing results from many sites, ENIGMA has detected factors that affect the brain that no individual site could detect on its own, and that require larger numbers of subjects than any individual neuroimaging study has currently collected. ENIGMA’s first project was a genome-wide association study identifying common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume or intracranial volume. Continuing work is exploring genetic associations with subcortical volumes (ENIGMA2) and white matter microstructure (ENIGMA-DTI). Working groups also focus on understanding how schizophrenia, bipolar illness, major depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect the brain. We review the current progress of the ENIGMA Consortium, along with challenges and unexpected discoveries made on the way.

Data science for mental health: a UK perspective on a global challenge

“…There are many examples of this process working well in areas such as genomics 53 and brain imaging 54 , where international consortia have brought together databases of unparalleled size and scope. There are particular challenges in expanding these initiatives to low and middle-income countries where the infrastructure may be more limited and low cost methods of data collection and storage will be needed.…”

Joint prediction of multiple scores captures better individual traits from brain images

“…Such studies aim at characterizing healthy subjects, such as the Human Connectome Project (Van Essen et al, 2013), investigating brain genetics, 15 e.g. Enigma (Thompson et al, 2014), or the impact of ageing, e.g. LIFE (Loeffler et al, 2015) or AIBL (Ellis et al, 2009).…”

Studying neuroanatomy using MRI

“…This is the case for the great majority of sites participating in the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium 151 and the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium 152 . These two consortia brought together various studies employing brain imaging and genetics in disease-oriented research carried out mostly in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan.…”