The BIDS connectivity project - A practical standard to report and share brain connectivity data

COEX 

Historically, neuroimaging data have been stored in a variety of unique file formats and directory structures, presenting obstacles in data sharing, scientific clarity, and rigor. The introduction of the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) [1] has been pivotal in addressing these issues by standardizing file system structures and metadata for raw neuroimaging data, leading to its widespread adoption [2]. Over time, BIDS has evolved beyond its original scope of MRI data, encompassing a broader range of imaging modalities, thanks to contributions from the community [3]. However, due to this evolution being mostly centered around raw data, BIDS currently lacks detailed descriptions for advanced data derivatives, particularly in brain connectivity research.

To address this gap, the BIDS connectivity project (https://pestillilab.github.io/bids-connectivity) is expanding the scope of BIDS derivatives. This extension includes both raw and minimally processed data, as well as more sophisticated derivatives from brain connectivity experiments. The project aims to establish standard descriptions for connectivity derivatives across six key data modalities: anatomical, diffusion-weighted, and functional MRI, along with PET, M/EEG, and iEEG. This initiative will significantly bolster research capabilities in terms of data generation, sharing, and replication of studies using published data derivatives. Additionally, It will streamline neuroimaging pipelines and processing, thereby accelerating research and development.