The ASPIRE Research Institute Dataset: Building a Foundation for Brain Health Research in the United Arab Emirates

Since its founding in 1971, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced rapid population growth, urbanization, and increased life expectancy, leading to a rise in health issues common in developed countries, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These conditions significantly impact brain health, often contributing to perceptual and cognitive deficits. However, the UAE and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region lack large, controlled normative neuroimaging data to assess these effects on the brain.

To address this gap, the ASPIRE Research Institute (ARI) will recruit a cohort of 1000 Emirati citizens and 1000 non-Emirati residents (18-60 years-old). The primary goal is to collect a comprehensive MRI dataset focused on brain health and integrate it with demographic, behavioral, genetic, and health-related data. This initiative aims to create a valuable resource for researchers and aid in identifying early markers and risk factors for diseases prevalent in the MENA region. This article outlines the study protocol, including data collection, management, and processing methods, and discusses future directions for this important dataset. The data here are example of the datasets to be collected as part of the current project.