TRS Biobank

The Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS) Biobank was assembled by the Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health together with the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre at the University of Melbourne. Between 2012 and 2018 it gathered blood, brain MRI, neuropsychological and clinical information from adults in a single cross-sectional visit. Its purpose is the discovery of biomarkers for diagnosing schizophrenia, separating subtypes and predicting response to antipsychotics. After the CRC's term ended on 30 June 2018 the Department of Psychiatry became the custodian.

Composition

The record describes more than 200 participants over 18 years of age in three groups: people with schizophrenia, most of them taking clozapine when assessed (114 or more), first-degree relatives of these patients (33 or more), and unrelated people without a psychiatric diagnosis (67 or more). Neuroimaging exists for 135 or more participants. The record does not break the imaging subset down by group, and it gives no sex or age figures.

Acquisition

All MRI was acquired on a 3 T scanner and covers structural, diffusion tensor and resting-state functional imaging. The scanner vendor and sequence parameters are not stated in the public record. Alongside imaging, the biobank holds blood fractions (serum, plasma, platelets, red cells), a neuropsychological battery (IQ, set-shifting, working memory, spatial span) and clinical data on diagnosis, medication, symptoms, substance use, childhood trauma and nutrition.

Annotations

There are no image labels. Each participant carries a group (patient, relative or control) plus clinical and cognitive scores.

Known limitations

• The data are not openly accessible. Researchers apply with an ethics approval to the CRC Psychosis Study biobank committee, pay a cost recovery fee and must return the data they generate.
• All counts are lower bounds ("N = 135+"), so the exact size of the imaging subset is unknown.
• The figshare record is labelled with the AusGOAL Restrictive Licence Template, but no completed licence schedule is published; the binding terms are those of the access agreement form.
• The application form dates from 2016 and names CRC contacts, while the record says the CRC's term expired on 30 June
  2018. Current access conditions must be confirmed with the University of Melbourne.