Updated HCP-YA data released on new BALSA-based platform

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Elam, Jennifer

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Aug 13, 2025, 9:10:39 AMAug 13
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HCP-Young Adult 2025 Release

The HCP team is pleased to announce the release of updated imaging data from the HCP-Young Adult (HCP-YA, healthy adult twins and non-twin siblings, ages 22-35) project on a new platform, "ConnectomeDB powered by BALSA" (see ConnectomeDB tab). 

 

Why a new platform?

The original ConnectomeDB, our very successful data sharing platform since 2013, is built upon old software that cannot be updated. We plan to shut down ConnectomeDB completely soon.

You may have used BALSA for finding and sharing analyzed reference or publication-associated datasets. Now we have added functionality to BALSA designed to replace ConnectomeDB with a familiar interface for sharing of HCP-style imaging data. 

 

How have HCP-YA data changed? 

  • Updated processing on previously released 3T, 7T, and Retest subjects to include:
    • Spin-echo based ("SEBASED") intensity bias field correction of all the fMRI data
    • Elimination of the regression of movement regressors as a step in the fMRI data cleaning (see Glasser et al., 2019 Neuroimage)
    • Addition of multi-run FIX for the 3T task fMRI data
    • Addition of Reclean (improvements to spatial ICA) and Temporal ICA pipelines and processed output for all 3T and 7T fMRI data
    • Due to these updates, data from this 2025 Release should not be mixed with data from the previous "S1200" Release (from 2017)
  • Data are processed and repackaged to match packages released for the HCP Lifespan projects. The new packages are significantly different than the ones currently available on ConnectomeDB. The new data has not been added to Amazon S3 but may be in future.
  • Processed data are available for 1071 subjects (45 retest subjects) without processing errors and with at least one rfMRI run to enable MSMAll registration. Unprocessed data are available for all subjects with imaging data (1113 subjects). Check the HCP-YA Issues wiki for more information on how subject data with issues identified in the S1200 release were handled. 
  • Directory structure of unzipped data is unchanged.
  • Non-imaging data are unchanged. Restricted data are available to those approved for access.

 

How do I get access to the new release?

  • Go to BALSA, register for an account, and log in. While HCP-YA does not require it, we recommend registering with an institutional email to facilitate access to future datasets. 
  • Click on the ConnectomeDB tab, then on the Data Use Terms button under HCP-Young Adult 2025. 
  • Read and agree to the Terms.
  • Click on HCP-Young Adult 2025 to view subject data, filter, and queue data for download (requires Aspera Connect plugin for your browser).
  • Files tab contains documentation and resources. The HCP-YA_2025_Release_Appendix_III.pdf is an updated Files and Directory Structure Appendix where you can browse the new data and see how it is packaged. 

 

Transferring Restricted Access to BALSA

If you have been approved for HCP-YA Restricted Access (RA), your BALSA account needs to be added to our list to access the RA data. BALSA and ConnectomeDB do not share user information so RA won't automatically transfer. Send your registered BALSA account username and email to Erin Reid (er...@wustl.edu).

 

Join the Community 

If you are actively using HCP data and tools, we encourage you to join and be active in the HCP-Users Google group, so that you can tune in to technical discussions on issues that may be of interest. Once you have joined (posts from nonmembers are moderated to control spam), post questions to hcp-...@humanconnectome.org. 

 

Thanks again for your interest in the HCP and enjoy the updated data!

 

Best,

WU-Minn HCP Consortium and BALSA team

 

 

 

Jennifer Elam, Ph.D.
Scientific Outreach, Human Connectome Project
Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Neuroscience, Box 8108
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110
314-362-9387
el...@wustl.edu
www.humanconnectome.org

 

 

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