Image-Based Meta- and Mega-Analysis (IBMMA): A Unified Framework for Large-Scale, Multi-Site, Neuroimaging Data Analysis
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Abstract
The increasing scale and complexity of neuroimaging datasets aggregated from multiple study sites present substantial analytic challenges, as existing statistical analysis tools struggle to handle missing voxel-data, suffer from limited computational speed and inefficient memory allocation, and are restricted in the types of statistical designs they are able to model. We introduce Image-Based Meta- & Mega-Analysis (IBMMA), a novel software package implemented in R and Python that provides a unified framework for analyzing diverse neuroimaging features, efficiently handles large-scale datasets through parallel processing, offers flexible statistical modeling options, and properly manages missing voxel-data commonly encountered in multi-site studies. IBMMA produced stronger effect sizes and revealed findings in brain regions that traditional software overlooked due to missing voxel-data resulting in gaps in brain coverage. IBMMA has the potential to accelerate discoveries in neuroscience and enhance the clinical utility of neuroimaging findings.
Authors 93
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Duke University · Durham VA Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,
Department of Veteran Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA,
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Duke University · Durham VA Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,
Department of Veteran Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA,
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Duke University · Durham VA Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,
Department of Veteran Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA,
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University of Rochester Medicine
Affiliation as printed
Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA,
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The University of Melbourne · Orygen
Affiliation as printed
Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia,
Orygen, Parkville, Australia,
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia,
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The University of Melbourne · Orygen
Affiliation as printed
Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia,
Orygen, Parkville, Australia,
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
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Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin · Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
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Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM, Berlin, Germany,
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University of Southern California
Affiliation as printed
Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA,
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University of Southern California
Affiliation as printed
Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA,
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University of Southern California
Affiliation as printed
Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA,
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Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group · Amsterdam Neuroscience · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Diemen, The Netherlands,
Amsterdam UMC University of Amsterdam, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
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Amsterdam Neuroscience · De Viersprong · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Amsterdam UMC University of Amsterdam, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
De Viersprong mental health specialist in personality disorders, family and behavior, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
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Amsterdam Neuroscience · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Amsterdam UMC University of Amsterdam, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
Amsterdam UMC Vrije Universiteit, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
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Radboud University Nijmegen · Amsterdam Neuroscience · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Amsterdam UMC University of Amsterdam, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,
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Amsterdam Neuroscience · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · University of Amsterdam
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Amsterdam UMC University of Amsterdam, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
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Utrecht University · Amsterdam Neuroscience · Amsterdam University Medical Centers · University of Amsterdam
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Amsterdam UMC University of Amsterdam, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
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Chinese Academy of Sciences · Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences · University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,
Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,
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Chinese Academy of Sciences · Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences · University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,
Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,
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Chinese Academy of Sciences · Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences · University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,
Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,
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South African Medical Research Council · University of Cape Town
Affiliation as printed
SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,
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South African Medical Research Council · University of Cape Town
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SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,
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Columbia University Irving Medical Center · New York State Psychiatric Institute
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Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA,
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA,
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Columbia University Irving Medical Center · New York State Psychiatric Institute
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Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA,
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA,
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New York State Psychiatric Institute
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New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA,
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University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,
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Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel,
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Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA,
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Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA,
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Harvard University · McLean Hospital
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Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,
Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,
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Emory University · Wayne State University
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Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA,
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Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA,
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Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA,
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Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium,
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Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium,
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands,
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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Affiliation as printed
University Medical Centre Charité, Berlin, Germany,
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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Affiliation as printed
University Medical Centre Charité, Berlin, Germany,
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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Affiliation as printed
University Medical Centre Charité, Berlin, Germany,
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Nic J.A. van der Wee Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center
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Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands,
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands,
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Steven J.A. van der Werff Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center
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Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands,
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands,
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Leiden University Medical Center
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Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands,
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Heidelberg University · Central Institute of Mental Health · Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim · Deutsches Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit
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Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany,
German Center for Mental Health, partner site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm,
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Heidelberg University · Central Institute of Mental Health · Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim · Deutsches Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit
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Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany,
German Center for Mental Health, partner site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm,
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Central European Institute of Technology · Masaryk University · Central European Institute of Technology – Masaryk University
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CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Multimodal and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic,
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Central European Institute of Technology · Masaryk University · Central European Institute of Technology – Masaryk University · St. Anne's University Hospital Brno
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CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Multimodal and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic,
First Department of Neurology, St. Anne’s University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic,
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Harvard University · McLean Hospital
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Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,
Division of Womens Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,
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Harvard University · McLean Hospital
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Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,
Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,
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Harvard University · McLean Hospital
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Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,
Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,
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Harvard University · McLean Hospital
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Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Harvard University, Belmont, MA, USA,
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,
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Harvard University · McLean Hospital
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Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Harvard University, Belmont, MA, USA,
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, USA,
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University of Minnesota · Minneapolis VA Health Care System
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA,
Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA,
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University of Minnesota · Minneapolis VA Health Care System
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA,
Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA,
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Minneapolis VA Health Care System
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Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA,
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Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Mu nster, Mu nster, Germany,
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Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Mu nster, Mu nster, Germany,
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Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command · Nanjing University
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Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China,
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Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital · Nanjing University
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Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China,
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA,
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA,
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA,
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UNSW Sydney · Neuroscience Research Australia
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Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia,
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
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Université de Tours · Inserm · Imaging, Brain, and Neuropsychiatry
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Université de Tours, INSERM, Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, 37032, Tours, France,
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Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA,
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Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA,
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University of Missouri–St. Louis
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University of Missouri-St. Louis, Department of Psychological Sciences, Center for Trauma Recovery, St. Louis, MO, USA,
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The University of Texas at Austin
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,
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Northwestern Neighborhood and Network Initiative, Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research, Evanston, IL, USA,
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University of Wisconsin–Madison
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School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA,
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University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA,
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University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA,
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University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA,
Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA,
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA,
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Comprehensive Injury Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI, USA,
Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI, USA,
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Comprehensive Injury Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI, USA,
Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI, USA,
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Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA,
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University of California San Diego
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Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,
Stein Institute for Research on Aging & Center for Healthy Aging, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,
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University of California San Diego
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Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,
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University of California San Diego
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Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,
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Dept. of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,
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University of California San Diego · VA San Diego Healthcare System · Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health
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Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,
Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, LA Jolla, CA, USA,
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, TN, USA,
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University of Nebraska Medical Center
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University of Nebraska Medical Center, Munroe-Meyer Institute, Omaha, NE, USA,
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Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, TN, USA,
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA,
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Baylor College of Medicine · Yale University
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Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA,
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,
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Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON, Canada,
Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada,
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada,
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada,
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada,
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University of Southern California
Affiliation as printed
Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, USA,
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Duke University · Durham VA Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Department of Veteran Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA,
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