Big Data, Small Bias: Harmonizing Structural Connectomes to Mitigate Site Bias in Data Integration

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School of Engineering and Applied Science::Department of Bioengineering::Departmental Papers (BE)
Degree type
Discipline
Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
Data Science
Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Subject
Strucutral connectomes
Harmonization
Multisite Study
Diffusion MRI
Gamma Generalized Linear Model
ComBat
CovBat
Big Data
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Copyright date
2025
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Author
Shen, Rui Sherry
Paker, Drew
Chen, Andrew An
Yerys, Benjamin E.
Tunç, Birkan
Roberts, Timothy P.L.
Shinohara, Russell T.
Verma, Ragini
Contributor
Abstract

Structural connectomes are commonly used to investigate connectivity changes related to various disorders. However, small sample sizes in individual studies and highly heterogeneous disorder-related manifestations underscore the need to pool datasets across multiple studies to identify coherent and generalizable patterns linked to disorders. Yet, combining datasets introduces site bias due to variations in scanner hardware or acquisitions. This highlights the necessity for data harmonization to mitigate site bias while preserving the biological integrity associated with participant demographics and the disorders. While several paradigms exist for harmonizing normally distributed imaging data, this study represents the first effort to establish a harmonization framework specifically for structural connectomes.

Advisor
Date of presentation
2025
Conference name
Organization for Human Brain Mapping Annual Meeting (OHBM)
Conference dates
2025
Conference location
Brisbane, Australia
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