BRAINS Logo

Brain Images of Normal Subjects




■ Index

■ Summary of data holdings

■ User Guide

■ Data Dictionary

■ Dataset Provenance

■ Data Access Agreement

■ Applying for Data

■ Data Contribution Agreement

■ Citation Guidelines

BRAINS Data dictionary

Version: 1.0. Author: BRAINS team.  Last updated: 09th June, 2015

This document details the methods of categorisation used for variables included in BRAINS. This may not have been the method used in the original study. The categorisation used is based on available and widely used schema, as outlined below. How data were collected in the original study and changes made to fit the schema, can be found in the ‘data provenance’ section

  • Lifestyle factors
  • Cognitive tests
  • Functional tests
  • Laboratory findings
  • Scan findings

    • Demographics

    i. Highest qualification

    These are broadly categorised- please see 'years of formal education' variable for details.

    Value Meaning
    0 No education
    1 O-level or equivalent
    2 A-level or equivalent
    3 Semi-professional / professional qualification
    4 Degree

    ii. Country related variables

    These are based on the ISO 3166-1 classification scheme. ISO_3166-2:GB is used to further break down UK into Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England

    iii. Ethnicity

    This uses the self-reported categorisation scheme.

    iiv. First language

    This is based on the 3-digit code of ISO 6391 classification scheme

    v. Occupation

    This is based on Registrar General’s Social Class (Social Class Based on Occupation) - a six-class scheme. Students and Unemployed are however separately classified.

    Value Meaning
    1 Professional. e.g. lawyer, doctor, clergyman, professional engineer
    2 Intermediate e.g. proprietor of business, trained nurse, artist
    3 Skilled- non-manual (e.g. clerk, policeman)
    4 Skilled - manual (e.g. miner, chauffeur)
    5 Partly skilled e.g. fisherman, carter, stoker, conductor
    6 Unskilled e.g. labourer, railwayman, watchman
    7 Student
    8 Unemployed

    vi. Age

    All age related variables are recorded in years for adults

    Back to top

    Physical Measurements

    • Blood pressure systolic (mmHg)
    • Blood pressure diastolic (mmHg)
    • Pulse (BPM)
    • Weight (kg)
    • Height (cm)
    • BMI (kg/m2)

    Back to top

    Medical History

    • All duration of illnesses are recorded in years

    Back to top

    Medical Summary

    • All variables are recorded as either Yes(1) or No(0)

    Back to top

    Medications

    • All variables are recorded as either Yes(1) or No(0)
    • totalNumberOralMed (Total number of oral medications)

    Back to top

    Lifestyle Factors

    • smokingNumCig (Number of cigarettes per day)
    • alcoholUnitsWeek (Number of units per week)

    Back to top

    Cognitive Tests

    Please refer to the provenance information sheet for information on version of cognitive test tool used for specific project.

    Variable Label Score Search type
    MMSE Mini–Mental State Examination Total raw score obtained in both parts of test Cognitive screening
    MorayHouse Moray House Test Total raw score summed over sub-tests General intelligence
    NART National Adult Reading Test Total raw score of number of correct items General intelligence
    digitSymbol Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence subset test Total raw score for sub-test Cognitive domains
    HADSAnxiety Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale - Anxiety Raw score for anxiety sub-test Mood
    HADSAnxiety Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale- Depression Raw score for depression sub-test Mood
    HamiltonAnxiety Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale Total raw score Mood
    HamiltonDepression Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression Total raw score Mood
    verbalFluency Verbal Fluency Total raw score sum of both sub-scores Cognitive screening
    logicalMemory Logical Memory Total raw score sum of both sub-cores Cognitive screening

    Back to top

    Functional Tests

    • sixMeterWalk (6 meter walk in seconds)
    • gripStrength (Grip strength raw score in kgs?)
    • Townsend (Total raw score)

    Back to top

    Laboratory Findings

    • triglyc (Triglycerides in mmol/L)
    • Hb (Hemoglobin in mL)
    • creatinine (in μmol/L)
    • haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c in mmol/mol)
    • cholesterol (in mmol/L)
    • intracranialArea (Intracranial area in mm2)

    Back to top

    Scan Findings

    • Brain volume (mm3)
    • Intracranial area (mm2)
    • wmLesionsFazekasPVH (White matter lesions PVH in Fazekas)
    • wmLesionsFazekasDWMH (White matter lesions DWMH in Fazekas)
    • wmLesionsWahlund (White matter lesions - PVH+DWMH in Wahlund)
    • atrophySulci (Atrophy - sulci)
    • atrophyVentricle (Atrophy - ventricle)
    • epvsBasalGanglia (EPVS - basal ganglia)
    • epvsCentrumSemiovale (EPVS - centrum semiovale)
    • epvsHippocampus (EPVS - hippocampus)