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Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study
Overview
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded leading researchers in the fields of adolescent development and neuroscience to conduct this ambitious project. The ABCD Research Consortium consists of a Coordinating Center, a Data Analysis, Informatics & Resource Center, and 21 research sites across the country (see map), which have invited over 11,000 children ages 9-10 to join the study. Researchers will track their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood. For more information about the ABCD study, please visit https://abcdstudy.org
ABCD at IBG
The Institute for Behavioral Genetics (IBG) at the University of Colorado Boulder plays an active role in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, with CU Boulder serving as one of 21 research sites nationwide. In collaboration with the Institute of Cognitive Science, IBG recruits and longitudinally assesses participants and conducts research using ABCD data. IBG is also one of the study’s designated twin sites, contributing a population-based twin sample that supports investigations of genetic and environmental influences on development. Beyond data collection, IBG researchers have helped guide and curate the broader ABCD data resource through service on consortium workgroups, including the Linked External Data, Physical Health, Neurocognition, and Genetics workgroups. Through these activities, IBG contributes to both the collection of ABCD data and the development of the publicly available dataset used by researchers worldwide.
Data Access
For the current ABCD 7.0 data release, access to controlled ABCD data is managed through the NIH Brain Development Cohorts (NBDC) Data Hub. Researchers must complete a Data Use Certification (DUC), required Responsible Data and Biospecimen Use Training, and attest that they meet NIH data-security requirements. IBG maintains a group DUC through which members of IBG can gain authorization to access and analyze ABCD data. NIH requires that ABCD data storage and analyses must be done on computing systems which meet or exceeds specific standards for data security. To meet these standards, all IBG DUC members must utilize specific Research Computing (RC) services when accessing, storing, or analyzing ABCD data.
- Data Use Certificate (DUC): You must be listed on an active DUC to view or analyze the ABCD data, and to publish or present the data at a conference. Only people on this DUC or another active DUC may access or view the individual-level data. Please contact Harry.Smolker@colorado.edu if you are interested in being added to IBG's group DUC.
- Responsible Data and Biospecimens Use Training: To access ABCD data, you will first need to complete training in responsible use of the data on the NBDC Hub (https://nbdc-datashare.lassoinformatics.com/). You will need to create an account on the NBDC hub, and it must use the same email address that is listed on the DUC. Once you have completed this training, please let Harry.Smolker@colorado.edu and Jeff.Lessem@colorado.edu know.
- Research Computing