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Representation in Brain Imaging Research: A Quebec Demographic Overview

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2025

Olujide Oyeniran
Affiliation:
Medical Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Crestview Radiology, Lagos, Nigeria
Tudor Sintu
Affiliation:
NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Udunna Anazodo
Affiliation:
Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Benjamin De Leener
Affiliation:
NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Eva Alonso-Ortiz*
Affiliation:
NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*
Corresponding author: Eva Alonso-Ortiz; Email: eva.alonso-ortiz@polymtl.ca
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Abstract

Neuroimaging research must reflect the diversity of the populations it aims to serve. This scoping review examines the demographic characteristics (age, sex, race and ethnicity, and geographic representation) of participants in brain MRI and positron-emission tomography studies conducted in Quebec, Canada, between 1992 and 2023. A total of 1,549 studies, representing 62,555 participants, were identified through searches of Medline, Embase and Google Scholar, following JBI methodology. The vast majority of studies (92.7%) were conducted in Montreal, with limited representation from other urban centers and almost none from rural areas. Reporting of demographic variables was inconsistent: 22.1% of studies failed to report participant age adequately, and 20.3% did not fully report sex. Race and ethnicity were the most poorly documented, with fewer than 4% of studies reporting this information. Among the 2,396 participants with recorded race and ethnicity, 94.2% were categorized as White, highlighting a significant mismatch with Quebec’s population diversity. Healthy participant samples were largely concentrated in the 20–35 age range, while clinical populations generally aligned with the expected age of disease onset. These findings reveal major gaps in demographic representation and reporting in Quebec-based neuroimaging research. Improving diversity and transparency is essential to ensure that neuroimaging findings are generalizable, equitable and clinically meaningful. We recommend the adoption of standardized demographic reporting formats, such as the Brain Imaging Data Structure, and broader recruitment efforts to capture underrepresented groups, including rural residents and racial and ethnic minorities.

Résumé

RÉSUMÉ

Représentation de la population dans la recherche en imagerie cérébrale : un aperçu démographique du Québec.

La recherche en neuroimagerie doit refléter la diversité des populations qu’elle vise à servir. Cette revue exploratoire entend examiner les caractéristiques démographiques (âge, sexe, appartenance raciale et ethnique, origine géographique) des participants à des études d’imagerie par résonance magnétique (IRM) cérébrale et de tomographie par émission de positons (TEP) menées au Québec (Canada) entre 1992 et 2023. Au total, 1 549 études, représentant 62 555 participants, ont été identifiées selon la méthodologie JBI et grâce à des recherches dans Medline, Embase et Google Scholar. La grande majorité des études (92,7 %) avaient été menées à Montréal, avec une représentation limitée d’autres centres urbains et presque aucune des zones rurales. La communication des variables démographiques était incohérente : 22,1 % des études n’avaient pas communiqué l’âge des participants de manière adéquate et 20,3 % n’avaient pas communiqué le sexe de manière complète. L’appartenance raciale et ethnique était la variable la moins bien documentée, moins de 4 % des études ayant communiqué des renseignements à ce sujet. Parmi les 2 396 participants dont l’appartenance ethnique et raciale avait été enregistrée, 94,2 % avaient été classés comme «Blancs», ce qui souligne un écart important par rapport à la diversité de la population québécoise. Les échantillons de participants en bonne santé étaient principalement concentrés dans la tranche d’âge des 20-35 ans, tandis que les populations cliniques correspondaient généralement à l’âge prévu d’apparition de la maladie. Ces résultats révèlent en somme des lacunes importantes dans la représentation démographique et la communication des données dans la recherche en neuroimagerie menée au Québec. À cet égard, il est essentiel d’améliorer la diversité et la transparence afin de s’assurer que les résultats en matière de neuroimagerie soient généralisables, équitables et cliniquement significatifs. Nous recommandons l’adoption de formats de rapport démographique standardisés, tels que la Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS), et des efforts de recrutement plus larges afin de pouvoir capturer les groupes sous-représentés, notamment les résidents des zones rurales et les minorités raciales et ethniques.

Information

Type
Review Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation
Figure 0

Figure 1. Sankey diagram visually representing the process of retrieving and screening studies. For the interactive figure with detailed numbers and criteria, as well as an interactive treemap containing links to all studies included in this review, see the interactive publication: https://preprint.neurolibre.org/10.55458/neurolibre.00035/.

Figure 1

Figure 2. Regional distribution of human MRI and PET studies in Quebec’s 17 administrative regions. Each marker’s geographical position represents the center of the administrative region, independently of the exact location of the study. Each marker’s size is proportional to the number of studies conducted in the region. For the interactive map, and to filter studies by imaging modality, see the reproducible publication: https://preprint.neurolibre.org/10.55458/neurolibre.00035/.

Figure 2

Figure 3. Histogram of studies by average age of participants. For the interactive figure, and to group by number of studies or number of participants, see the reproducible publication: https://preprint.neurolibre.org/10.55458/neurolibre.00035/.

Figure 3

Figure 4. Pie chart of reporting of participant sex for all studies in Quebec.

Figure 4

Figure 5. Scatter plot of all studies showing the relationship between participant sex and average age. Weighted Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.079. For the interactive figure where a minimum participant number cutoff can be set, see the reproducible publication: https://preprint.neurolibre.org/10.55458/neurolibre.00035/.

Figure 5

Table 1. Participant ethnicity information. For the interactable visual representation of this table, see the reproducible publication: https://preprint.neurolibre.org/10.55458/neurolibre.00035/

Figure 6

Figure 6. Trends in participant sex ratio by year of publication.

Figure 7

Figure 7. Distribution of average participant age for MRI/PET studies in the three major research hubs of Quebec. For the interactive figure which displays statistical information for each distribution including min, max, quartiles, etc., see the interactive publication: https://preprint.neurolibre.org/10.55458/neurolibre.00035/.

Figure 8

Table 2. Sex ratio by study population category

Figure 9

Figure 8. Distribution of average participant age for each population category. For the interactive figure which displays statistical information for each distribution including min, max, quartiles, etc., see the interactive publication: https://preprint.neurolibre.org/10.55458/neurolibre.00035/.

Figure 10

Figure 9. Rates of demographic reporting by year of publication.

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