Scientists at the Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind have developed CALM-Brain, India’s first comprehensive digital repository of brain data related to psychiatric disorders.
The centre is a collaborative initiative between the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences and the National Centre for Biological Sciences.
About CALM-Brain
- A first-of-its-kind open-source digital database built on Indian patient data
- Designed to support clinicians and researchers in studying brain structure and function
- Aims to improve understanding of disease onset, progression, and biological mechanisms behind mental illnesses
Scope of Data Collection: CALM-Brain integrates multiple types of datasets, including:
- Clinical data
- Neuro-imaging data
- Behavioural assessments
- Genetic information
It focuses on five major neuropsychiatric disorders:
- Addiction
- Bipolar disorder
- Dementia
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Schizophrenia
Unique Feature: Stem Cell Linkage: The repository is linked to a biorepository of stem cells, enabling advanced biological research to uncover the origins of severe psychiatric conditions.
Background & Scale
- Developed under the Accelerator program for Discovery in Brain disorders using Stem cells
- Launched in 2016
- Jointly funded by the Department of Biotechnology and the Pratiksha Trust
- Includes data from over 2,000 participants across 900 families
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