What is the PRISM2 dataset?

PRISM2 is a pan-European study that investigated the relationship between brain network integrity and social dysfunction across psychiatric and neurological conditions. The Innovative Medicines Initiative project has generated a rich, multimodal dataset which is now being shared for reuse by the wider research community. The PRISM2 dataset and biosample collection are requestable through the EPND Hub, supporting long term sustainability and cross-cohort research.

The study had two aims. The first was to determine whether the transdiagnostic relationship between default mode network (DMN) integrity and social dysfunction, which emerged from PRISM1 in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, could be reproduced and generalised to major depressive disorder. The second was to test whether quantitative variation in DMN integrity is causally related to social dysfunction. Rather than grouping participants by diagnostic label alone, PRISM2 takes a transdiagnostic approach, looking at symptom domains that cut across conditions. This makes the dataset relevant to researchers working in both neurodegenerative and psychiatric disease.

What does the dataset contain?

The PRISM2 dataset includes 182 subjects, spanning Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and matched healthy controls. It brings together demographic and clinical information alongside task-based and resting-state imaging, EEG, behavioural and digital measures. The combination of multimodal measures across several disease areas allows researchers to examine the biology behind neuropsychiatric symptoms, and to move beyond symptom labels towards quantitative phenotypes.

What biosamples are available?

An associated biosample collection is also listed on the EPND Hub, comprising samples from 169 donors across Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and healthy controls.

Serum, plasma and DNA samples are available, each collected at a single timepoint. For healthy participants, the collection includes 62 serum, 62 plasma and 62 DNA samples. For participants with Alzheimer's disease, it includes 33 serum, 33 plasma and 33 DNA samples. Full counts for the other disease areas are available on the Hub listing. The samples are accompanied by linked data, including clinical information, demographics, imaging data, digital data, functional ratings and neuropsychiatric assessments. This allows researchers to combine biological measures with detailed clinical and behavioural characterisation.

Who led the project?

PRISM2 was coordinated by Professor Martien Kas of the University of Groningen, with Dr Hugh Marston of Boehringer Ingelheim as Project Leader and Professor Celso Arango of CIBERSAM as Chief Investigator. Professor Brenda Penninx (Amsterdam UMC), Professor Nic van der Wee (Leiden University Medical Center) and Dr José Luis Ayuso Mateos (Hospital de La Princesa) were secondary investigators. The study was conducted in Spain and the Netherlands.

Professor Kas has led and coordinated multiple large European research initiatives, and previously served as President of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, where he helped shape the Precision Psychiatry Roadmap. In a recent interview with EPND, he set out why sharing these data matters: "Data sharing is essential as it enables the scientific community to test new hypotheses, independently validate previous findings, and explore unique datasets to better understand the transdiagnostic biology of shared symptom domains."

How can researchers access and analyse the PRISM2 dataset?

The PRISM2 dataset is accessible through the EPND Hub, a secure platform designed to facilitate data and biosample discovery, access and analysis. Through EPND's interoperability with the Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative's AD Workbench, registered users can analyse data securely in personal, cloud-based workspaces using a unified login.

What is the EPND Hub and how can it support collaborative research?

The EPND Hub provides researchers with tools to search, filter and visualise neurodegenerative disease datasets and biosamples, including the PRISM2 dataset. It supports secure collaboration, federated data access and advanced analysis, through its interoperability with the AD Data Initiative's AD Workbench. Its ELSI Support Desk helps researchers to navigate ethical and legal considerations whilst collaborating via the Hub, providing guidance on data protection, research ethics and contractual arrangements.

Click here to access the PRISM2 listing on the EPND Hub, and here to learn more about the PRISM2 project. You can also read our full interview with Martien Kas, here.

The PRISM2 project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No. 101034377. The JU receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, EFPIA, and Cohen Veterans Bioscience.