Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system: the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves that transmit electrical impulses throughout the body. Neuroscience data, therefore, is the collection of data about the structure, function, and development of the nervous system.
The main sources of this data are studies and images published by doctors and researchers. Additionally, a range of free, open-source databases collect many of these studies for public use.
Neuroscientific data attributes consist of scientific studies of the nervous system—as much as doctors can observe without invasive procedures. Images from fMRI, PET, and EEG scans are also common in this data category.
The primary use of this data is to improve healthcare. However, business professionals also show interest in neuroscience to inform, for example, marketing campaigns.
Researchers cannot measure or experiment very much on the nervous system of live subjects, which limits the accuracy and completeness of the data. However, the available neuroscientific data are good quality as the published studies pass the quality assurance tests of scientists. Therefore, you can build a complete and relevant dataset with only careful consideration of your needs.
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Researchers can also study the nervous system outside of the lab—especially with new technologies. For example, a new game application collects neuroscientific data from casual players:
The app, she said, plays host to gold-standard cognitive neuroscience tests in the form of interactive games users can play on their phone. [Researchers collate the] data from these gaming experiences … with information provided by users on their diet, exercise and mental health, so that a distraction in your downtime can become a useful tool for researchers.
….“Even with advertising costs [we acquire] new users at a cost that’s rare in academic research, especially given the amount of data we are able to collect per user,” said Gillan.