During the Human Brain Forum 2024 held on August 24, NeuroFunctionDataset-CN (hereafter referred to as “the database”), which is a normative database of quantitative parameters of neurological functions for the Chinese population developed under the leadership of PUMCH, was officially launched. This marks a significant achievement made by Chinese scholars in quantitative neurological function assessment, providing robust data support for neuroscience research and clinical applications. The database will offer scientific basis for early diagnosis of neurological disorders as well as optimization of treatment and interventions. PUMCH Vice President Peng Bin attended the event.
▲PUMCH Vice President Peng Bin (middle), Professor Cui Liying from PUMCH Department of Neurology (third from right), and Professor Zhu Yicheng (second from left) as Director of Neurology, along with researcher Tian Feng from the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, pressed the buttons together and launched the database
The study on normative ranges of quantitative parameters for motor and cognitive functions in the Chinese population was led by PUMCH, with participation from 13 hospitals across 12 provinces and municipalities in China. This is a nationwide trailblazing effort in the neuroscience field for establishing normative ranges of quantitative parameters for two core neurological functions: motor and cognitive. It is a methodological innovation in clinical neurological function assessment that holds the potential for standardizing the diagnosis and functional assessment of neurological disorders to the level seen in routine blood tests and ECGs.
Initiated in 2021, the study enrolled over 1,800 adults with normal cognitive and motor functions. Using the ReadyGo™ balance test system and BrainFit™ digital quantitative assessment system of cognitive function, researchers conducted comprehensive evaluations of the motor and cognitive functions of the subjects. To ensure data accuracy, the subjects were grouped by gender, age, educational level and other factors, respectively. The two-year clinical trial culminated in establishing normative values of quantitative parameters for neurological function of Chinese adults, providing crucial references for neurologists in diagnosing and evaluating patient symptoms.
The database’s launch fills a void in clinical data standards for quantitative neurological function assessment in China. It provides normative ranges as references for clinical quantitative neurological evaluations and crucial baseline data for future clinical research to compare against. Clinical and research professionals worldwide can now apply for data access through the National Human Brain Bank (http://neurofunction.humanbrainbank.cn/).
This study was funded and supported by the research on “Key Technologies of Intelligent Human-Machine Interaction for Early Warning of Neurological Diseases”, a National Science and Technology Major Program for “New-generation AI”, and by the “Research on the Pathogenesis and Key Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologies for Aging-Related Neurological Diseases”, a PUMCH research supported by the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding.
Written by the Department of Neurology
Picture courtesy of the Department of Neurology
Edited by Wang Jingxia