Site-related variance is generally small (typically <10%) in the AMP SCZ neuroimaging protocol, but platform-related variance is substantial for diffusion scan SNR/CNR (>55%) and spatial smoothness measures.
The AMP SCZ neuroimaging protocol, applied to a multi-site, multi-vendor cohort of individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, found that participant variance was the largest component for structural and fMRI SNR/CNR (40-76%), while site variance was small (<10%). However, diffusion scans showed substantial platform-related variance (>55%) due to hardware differences, and spatial smoothness had large platform-related variance from vendor-specific acquisition and reconstruction differences.
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Site-related variance is generally small (typically <10%) in the AMP SCZ neuroimaging protocol, but platform-related variance is substantial for diffusion scan SNR/CNR (>55%) and spatial smoothness measures. The current body of evidence comprises 1 study. EvidenceHub rates the overall confidence at 32/100 (low).
The Claim
Site-related variance is generally small (typically <10%) in the AMP SCZ neuroimaging protocol, but platform-related variance is substantial for diffusion scan SNR/CNR (>55%) and spatial smoothness measures.
This conclusion is most relevant to: Individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for developing psychosis (part of the AMP SCZ cohort).
What the Research Shows
The conclusion draws on 1 linked study. Highlights from the cited literature:
- ▸The MR neuroimaging protocol for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program. (Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany), 2026) —
How It Works
The proposed biological pathway:
- ▸Multi-site MRI data collected from different scanner models
- ▸Variance decomposition analysis performed on SNR/CNR and spatial smoothness
- ▸Participant variance dominant for structural/fMRI (40-76%), site variance small (<10%)
- ▸Platform variance dominant for diffusion SNR/CNR (>55%) and spatial smoothness
Who Might Benefit
Evidence fit by population:
- ▸Individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for developing psychosis (part of the AMP SCZ cohort)
Recommended Dose
N/A
Limitations & Caveats
Important context when interpreting this evidence:
- ▸Preliminary variance component analyses only; full cohort results not yet reported
- ▸Platform-related variance in diffusion scans may limit generalizability of diffusion metrics across vendors
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main finding about site-related variance in the AMP SCZ neuroimaging protocol?▼
Site-related variance is generally small, typically less than 10%, indicating good consistency across different imaging sites.
Why is platform-related variance high for diffusion scans?▼
Platform-related variance exceeds 55% for diffusion scan SNR/CNR due to differences in diffusion imaging hardware capabilities across scanner models.
What type of MRI scans were included in the AMP SCZ protocol?▼
The protocol includes T1- and T2-weighted structural scans, resting-state fMRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging, collected at two time points about 2 months apart.
What population was studied in this paper?▼
The study focused on individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for developing psychosis, as part of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia Program.
References
- 1.Harms MP, Cho KK, Anticevic A, Bolo NR, Bouix S, Campbell D, Cannon TD, Cecchi G, Goncalves M, Haidar A, Hughes DE, Izyurov I, John O, Kapur T, Kim N, Kotler E, Kubicki M, Kuperman JM, Laulette K, Lindberg U, Markiewicz C, Ning L, Poldrack RA, Rathi Y, Romo PA, Tamayo Z, Wannan C, Wickham A, Yassin W, Zhou JH, Addington J, Alameda L, Arango C, Breitborde NJK, Broome MR, Cadenhead KS, Calkins ME, Chen EYH, Choi J, Conus P, Corcoran CM, Cornblatt BA, Diaz-Caneja CM, Ellman LM, Fusar-Poli P, Gaspar PA, Gerber C, Glenthøj LB, Horton LE, Hui CLM, Kambeitz J, Kambeitz-Ilankovic L, Keshavan MS, Kim SW, Koutsouleris N, Kwon JS, Langbein K, Mamah D, Mathalon DH, Mittal VA, Nordentoft M, Pearlson GD, Perez J, Perkins DO, Powers AR, Rogers J, Sabb FW, Schiffman J, Shah JL, Silverstein SM, Smesny S, Stone WS, Strauss GP, Thompson JL, Upthegrove R, Verma SK, Wang J, Wolf DH, Kahn RS, Kane JM, McGorry PD, Nelson B, Woods SW, Shenton ME, Wood SJ, Bearden CE, Pasternak O. “The MR neuroimaging protocol for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program..” Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany), 2026. PMID: 40175382 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-025-00581-6