articleNatureJul 16, 2025HYBRID OA

Longer scans boost prediction and cut costs in brain-wide association studies

LQLeon Qi Rong OoiCOCsaba OrbánSZShaoshi ZhangTEThomas E. NicholsTWTrevor Wei Kiat Tan

National University of Singapore · National University Health System · +27 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

Abstract A pervasive dilemma in brain-wide association studies 1 (BWAS) is whether to prioritize functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan time or sample size. We derive a theoretical model showing that individual-level phenotypic prediction accuracy increases with sample size and total scan duration (sample size × scan time per participant). The model explains empirical prediction accuracies well across 76 phenotypes from nine resting-fMRI and task-fMRI datasets ( R 2 = 0.89), spanning diverse scanners, acquisitions, racial groups, disorders and ages. For scans of ≤20 min, accuracy increases linearly with the logarithm of the total scan duration, suggesting that sample size and scan time are initially…

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Sample size determination
  • Computer science
  • Neuroimaging
  • Sample (material)
  • Logarithm
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging
  • Contrast (vision)
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
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