Monday 11 February 2013


Project Description:



Mental health and Neuroscience research programs associated with the University of Sydney headspace services, and the Healthy Brain Ageing programs are undertaken at the Brain and Mind Research Institute. The data obtained from the brain scans and the neuropsychological and electrophysiological tests generates the research project’s raw data. This raw data is enriched by
contextual information critical for use and reuse.  Integration of the data result will direct value to clinicians caring for patients, provide convenience for research to perform analysis and link records for research reference.
To integrate various (a) imaging, (b) neurological & electrophysiological testing data and (c) clinical data for the purpose of providing a refined answer to complex research questions that is not currently possible using the separately existing (and expanding) data sets across the clinical research programs at BMRI making use of brain scans.
The project will provide the integration tool for the multiple data sets and data points within data sets and develop an analytical tool for interrogating the data in response to specific research questions for example researchers at the BMRI (Brain Mid Research Institute) I are trying to establish if there is a characteristic pattern that emerges from our structural imaging data and a specific electrophysiological component that predicts with some degree of accuracy a clinical phenotype, such as depression in young people.
The system developed through this project will provide an integrated research data set to be expanded and used for future research projects. An additional objective is to integrate contributions to the data set from other clinical researchers and to make the larger data set available through research collaborations.
The outcomes of the project will provide data and an analysis platform for the development of information based diagnostic and treatment response algorithms for young people with major mental health problems like depression and psychotic disorders, as well as ageing subjects.
AP24 is aiming to provide a software solution covering the following functionality:

1.       Integrate large and sometimes disparate data sets held in SPSS and provide a platform to enable data transformation and analysis by authorised parties.

2.       Provide an analytical tool for interrogating the data in response to research questions (of the type discussed above).

In cases where a research subject is under clinical care, and research findings may provide additional diagnostic support, provide mechanisms for communicating findings to the clinician.

Current status

·         Project initiated and contracts signed - Complete

·         Business requirements and processes identified and approved - Complete

·         Technical requirements identified - Complete

·         Identification of possible solutions - Complete

·         Evaluation and Selection of Solutions – In progress

Next Steps

·         Select Solution

·         Design and Install infrastructure for solution implementation

·         Setup and install software on test environment

·         User Acceptance Testing and approval

·         Production implementation, testing, and Go-live

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