eCAT: Online electronic lab notebook for scientific research.

Background: eCAT is an electronic lab notebook (ELN) developed by Axiope Limited. It is the first online ELN, the first ELN to be developed in close collaboration with lab scientists, and the first ELN to be targeted at researchers in non-commercial institutions. eCAT was developed in response to feedback from users of a predecessor product.

Event-related fMRI of word classification and successful word recognition in subjects at genetically enhanced risk of schizophrenia.

Background: Verbal declarative memory is a core deficit in schizophrenia patients, seen to a lesser extent in unaffected biological relatives. Neuroimaging studies suggest volumetric differences and aberrant function in prefrontal and temporal regions in schizophrenia patients compared to controls. These deficits are also reflected in the small number of similar investigations in unaffected biological relatives.

Functional imaging as a predictor of schizophrenia.

Background: Prospective studies of young individuals at high risk of schizophrenia allow the investigation of whether neural abnormalities predate development of illness and, if present, have the potential to identify those who may become ill.

Methods: We studied young individuals with at least two relatives with the disorder. At baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan, none met criteria for any psychiatric disorder, but four subjects subsequently developed schizophrenia.

Functional disconnectivity in subjects at high genetic risk of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a highly heritable psychotic disorder. It has been suggested that deficits of the established state arise from abnormal interactions between brain regions. We sought to examine whether such connectivity abnormalities would be present in subjects at high genetic risk for the disorder.

Axiope tools for data management and data sharing.

Many areas of biological research generate large volumes of very diverse data. Managing this data can be a difficult and time-consuming process, particularly in an academic environment where there are very limited resources for IT support staff such as database administrators. The most economical and efficient solutions are those that enable scientists with minimal IT expertise to control and operate their own desktop systems.

Neuroinformatics: the integration of shared databases and tools towards integrative neuroscience.

There is significant interest amongst neuroscientists in sharing neuroscience data and analytical tools. The exchange of neuroscience data and tools between groups affords the opportunity to differently re-analyze previously collected data, encourage new neuroscience interpretations and foster otherwise uninitiated collaborations, and provide a framework for the further development of theoretically based models of brain function. Data sharing will ultimately reduce experimental and analytical error.