Skyra 3.0 t scanners

UK Biobank is a major data health resource including ~500,000 participants from across the UK, aged between 40 and 69 years at recruitment^{47 (link)}. The UK Biobank includes clinical and phenotypic information for a broad range of traits and includes MRI imaging data on a subset of participants. In this study, we used the UK Biobank imaging data on ~20,000 individuals released in October 2018^{11 (link),12 (link)}. MRI was performed on two identical Siemens Skyra 3.0 T scanners (Siemens Medical Solutions, Germany), running VD13A SP4, with a standard Siemens 32-channel RF receiver head coil. Identical acquisition parameters and careful quality control (QC) was used for all scans. We selected individuals described for three phenotypes all of which variables already obtained from the UK Biobank MRI data by the central MRI analysis centre in Oxford (1) total volume of WMH (from T1 and T2_FLAIR images) WMH (field 25781), (2) FA (fields 25056-25103) and (3) MD (fields 25104-25151) (see Supplementary Data 9 for field description). Individuals diagnosed with stroke, or with other major CNS disease which could be associated with white matter damage (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, dementia or any other CNS neurodegenerative condition) were excluded from the analysis (see Supplementary Table 5 for removed codes description).

UK Biobank is a prospective study of more than 500 000 participants aged 40 to 69 years recruited across the United Kingdom in 2006 to 2010.^{10 (link)} Phenotypic data were collected through questionnaires and physical examinations. A subset of 100 000 individuals, selected based on traveling distance from the imaging center, underwent MRI. All MRIs were performed on Siemens Skyra 3.0-T scanners with identical acquisition parameters and quality control.^{11 (link)} In October 2021, whole-exome sequences of 454 756 participants were released and were assessed for this study. UK Biobank received ethical approval from the National Health Service National Research Ethics Service Northwest (21/NW/0157). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. This study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guideline.^{12 (link)}

UK Biobank is a prospective study of over 500 000 healthy volunteers aged 40–69 years recruited across the UK between 2006 and 2010.11 (link) About 9 million individuals were invited to join, of whom 5.5% participated in the baseline assessment.12 (link) Phenotypic data were collected through questionnaires and physical examinations. A subset of 100 000 individuals are also participating in the MRI Study, and approximately 40 000 brain MRIs were available at the time of this analysis. These participants were selected on the basis of travelling distance from the imaging centre and not clinical information. All MRIs were performed on one of the two identical Skyra 3.0T scanners (Siemens Medical Solutions, Germany). Identical acquisition parameters and quality control was used for all scans.13 (link) In October 2020, whole-exome sequences of 200 632 UK Biobank participants were released and all were included here. This analysis was performed under UK Biobank application number 36509.