Announcing Release 3 of The Open MEG Archives (OMEGA)
We are thrilled to announce the release of Release 3 of The Open MEG Archives (OMEGA)! This new release marks a significant expansion of our repository, aiming to accelerate research and collaboration in the field of magnetoencephalography (MEG).
What's New in Release 3?
Expanded Participant Pool: OMEGA now includes data from 644 participants, offering a more extensive dataset for researchers worldwide.
Over 150 Hours of Task-Free Recordings: Gain access to a wealth of resting-state MEG data, perfect for studies requiring large volumes of baseline neural activity.
Diverse Clinical Populations:
Parkinson’s Disease
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Chronic Pain
Plus, 444 Healthy Controls for comparative studies.
Defaced Structural MRI Volumes: High-quality structural MRI data accompanies the MEG recordings, with all images defaced to ensure participant confidentiality.
Individual Questionnaire Data: Detailed demographic and neuropsychological information enhances the potential for personalized and subgroup analyses.
About OMEGA
The Open MEG Archives is a collaborative initiative designed to provide the neuroscience community with open access to a large-scale repository of MEG data. Our mission is to foster innovation by breaking down barriers to data access, enabling researchers to:
Validate and replicate findings.
Develop and test new analytical methods.
Explore novel research questions using rich, real-world data.
Why OMEGA Matters
MEG is a powerful neuroimaging technique that captures millisecond-level neural dynamics. However, access to high-quality MEG data has historically been limited due to the scarcity of open datasets. OMEGA addresses this gap by offering a comprehensive and anonymized collection of MEG recordings, accompanied by structural MRI data and participant questionnaires.
How to Access the Data
All datasets are available for download through the project’s website. To ensure ethical use, we require researchers to:
Register an Account: Provide your institutional affiliation and contact information.
Agree to the Data Usage Agreement: Commit to using the data responsibly and respecting participant confidentiality.
Download the Data: Access the datasets that best suit your research needs.
Join the OMEGA Community
We believe in the power of collaboration. By sharing data openly, we aim to build a community of researchers dedicated to advancing our understanding of the human brain. Whether you're a seasoned neuroscientist or new to the field, OMEGA offers valuable resources to support your work. So far, more than 1,000 users have accessed OMEGA and contributed >100 studies using the data.
Get Involved
Contribute Data: Interested in adding your data to OMEGA? Contact us to discuss how we can expand the repository together.
Provide Feedback: Help us improve by sharing your experiences and suggestions.
Collaborate: Reach out to other OMEGA users to form partnerships and share insights.
Acknowledgements
We extend our gratitude to all the participants, researchers, and institutions that have contributed to OMEGA. This release would not have been possible without your support and dedication.
For more information, visit the OMEGA website or contact us at omega-support@mcgill.ca.