Big Brain Data Initiative in Universiti Sains Malaysia: Challenges in Brain Mapping for Malaysia

Sharifah Aida Shekh Ibrahim,Zamzuri Idris,Athirah Raihanah Abdul Wahab,Sanihah Abdul Halim,Putra Sumari,Nurfaten Hamzah,Jafri Malin Abdullah,Ariffin Marzuki Mokhtar,Salmi Ab Razak,Nurul Hashimah Ahamed Hassain Malim,Aminuddin Ab Ghani

doi:10.21315/mjms2020.27.4.1

Sharifah Aida Shekh Ibrahim, Zamzuri Idris + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2020.27.4.1

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Abstract

Universiti Sains Malaysia has started the Big Brain Data Initiative project since the last two years as brain mapping techniques have proven to be important in understanding the molecular, cellular and functional mechanisms of the brain. This Big Brain Data Initiative can be a platform for neurophysicians and neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists, neurotechnologists and other researchers to improve brain mapping techniques. Data collection from a cohort of multiracial population in Malaysia is important for present and future research and finding cure for neurological and mental illness. Malaysia is one of the participant of the Global Brain Consortium (GBC) supported by the World Health Organization. This project is a part of its contribution via the third GBC goal which is influencing the policy process within and between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries, such as pathways for fair data-sharing of multi-modal imaging data, starting with electroencephalographic data.

Highlights

The Fourth Industrial Revolution loads our life with tons of data [1]
The needs of Big Data analytics is steadily increasing in various field as it can be used in remodel operational processes of an organisation
Big Data does not associate to any specific volume of data, Big Data storage often involve terabytes, petabytes and even exabytes of data captured over time [6]

Summary

Introduction

The Fourth Industrial Revolution loads our life with tons of data [1]. These data that require routine collection, storage, processing and analysis [2]. Mind and neurosciences, Big Brain Data can lead to important discoveries; it can help us to understand the brain’s structure and function, identify new biomarkers of brain pathology and increase the performance of neurotechnological devices (such as brain-computer interfaces [BCIs]) [3]. There are several benefits to researchers/ clinicians of Big Brain Data such as for our better understanding of the brain’s anatomy including structure and it’s function, identifying new biomarkers of brain pathology, neurotechnological devices performance improvement for example BCIs [3] and opportunity to explore and implementing of ‘internet of things’ (IOT) in health industries [1]. Top-down and bottom-up models must be integrated, for example, those that cast the brain as a hypothesis testing system and biophysical model that represent simulations [14–19]

Conclusion

Conflict of Interest