Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies can generate extensive and complex datasets, especially when multiple modalities are employed. The organization of such data usually differs between (or even within) labs. This makes the sharing or reusing of data difficult, impeding transparency and reproducibility. To address this, the neuroimaging community created the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) specification. Inspired by the practices of the OpenNeuro repository, BIDS has served as a standard for the organization of neuroimaging data and metadata, but its principles have also been applied to other biomedical imaging and non-imaging modalities. BIDS currently covers many brain imaging methods, such as MRI techniques (e.g., fMRI, diffusion imaging, arterial spin labeling), magnetoencephalography, electroencephalography, and positron emission tomography. Together with other ongoing efforts to include other modalities, we are developing an extension to BIDS for MRS data, termed MRS-BIDS.
Relevant publications
Bouchard AE, Wong D, Bogner W, Gau R, Halchenko YO, Lamb DG, Markiewicz CJ, Mullins PG, Niso G, Oeltzschner G, Appelhoff S, Blair R, Earl E, Galassi A, Hardcastle N, Pfarr JK, Ray K, Rogers C, Salo T, Clarke WT, Wilson M, Mikkelsen M. MRS-BIDS, an extension to the Brain Imaging Data Structure for magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Sci Data. 2025;12(1):1384. doi:10.1038/s41597-025-05543-2