Why are collaborative studies in Asian countries needed? The concept and framework of the Asian Consortium on MRI studies in Psychosis (ACMP)

Abstract

Multi‐center mega studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have found generalizable characteristics of brain alterations in psychiatric disorders regardless of the heterogeneity ; however, most of the multi‐center MRI studies are launched by the institute (s) in Western‐Europe countries. The Asian Consortium on MRI studies in Psychosis (ACMP) project was launched in 2018 and 14 institutes already agreed to participation. The strengths of the ACMP compared to existing MRI collaborative studies in psychiatry are (1) biological similarity, (2) larger sample size, (3) less effect of illegal drug use, (4) similar medical environment and cultural background and easier to share the methods and experience, and (5) closer relationship between researchers and clinicians. At the preliminary estimation, 700 T1‐weighted images for patients with FEP and 1,000 healthy controls will be available. For the consortium, we have built up (1) data sharing and preprocessing analysis pipeline, (2) project management and support for ethical review amendment, and (3) promoting academic communication and collaborative studies in the ACMP. The ACMP is the first Asian international multi‐center clinical neuroimaging study in psychiatry and can provide novel findings for identifying biological basis of schizophrenia and to find the candidates for clinical applications in bed side.