Alzheimer's Disease & Neuroscience Dataset Access Guide
Compiled: 2026-04-05
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- NACC
- OASIS-3
- Bio-Hermes-001
- ADSP / NIAGADS
- HCP-Aging
- PREVENT-AD
- ANMerge (AddNeuroMed)
- ROSMAP
- Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA)
- AIBL
- DIAN
- AD Workbench / AD Discovery Portal
- GAAIN
- AMP-AD (via Synapse)
- ADNI
- Allen SEA-AD
- UK Biobank
- EEG/MEG Datasets
- Kaggle Datasets
- Additional/Recent Datasets
1. NACC
National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center
Application Requirements
- Sign a Data Use Agreement (DUA) -- takes ~15 minutes
- Submit electronic data request describing your research project
- Must search for similar existing projects to ensure no significant overlap
- Must identify a unique research hypothesis
- Any researcher affiliated with a scientific/educational institution
Approval Timeline
- NACC acknowledges request within 3 business days
- Approved researchers receive data within 48 hours (excluding weekends/holidays)
- One of the fastest turnarounds of any AD dataset
What You Get
- Quick Access File: UDS (Uniform Data Set) standardized longitudinal data (CSV)
- Imaging: MRI (T1w, FLAIR, DTI, T2) and PET scans in DICOM and NIfTI (.zip archives)
- Biomarkers: CSF biomarkers, APOE genotypes, fluid biomarker data (via NCRAD)
- Genomics: Genetic/genomic data (via NIAGADS)
- Disease modules: FTLD, Lewy Body Dementia, Down Syndrome modules
- Modalities: Clinical, neuropathology, MRI/PET, biospecimen, digital, EHR/Claims
Restrictions
- Data solely for identified individuals in the request
- Must acknowledge NACC in publications
- Must notify NACC before and during publication submission
- Cannot attempt to re-identify participants
2. OASIS-3
Open Access Series of Imaging Studies - 3
Application Requirements
- Register through NITRC (Neuroimaging Informatics Tools and Resources Clearinghouse)
- Click "REQUEST ACCESS TO DATASETS" on the OASIS website
- For Tau PET data: send a detailed research statement to oasis-brains@nrg.wustl.edu
- Must already have OASIS-3 main dataset approval before requesting Tau data
Approval Timeline
- Not explicitly stated; typically 1-2 weeks for NITRC registration
- Tau data requires separate approval
What You Get
- MRI: 2,842 sessions -- T1w, T2w, FLAIR, ASL, SWI, time-of-flight, resting-state BOLD, DTI
- PET: 2,157+ scans -- PIB, AV45 (amyloid), FDG, AV1451 (Tau; 451 baseline + 85 longitudinal)
- CT: 1,472 sessions
- FreeSurfer: Volumetric segmentations for many MR sessions
- Clinical: Cognitive assessments, UDS forms
- Formats: NIfTI, BIDS-compatible
- Size: Multiple TB total
Restrictions
- Cannot attempt to identify participants (including facial recognition/3D rendering)
- Publications using AV45 or AV1451 PET data must be submitted to Avid Radiopharmaceuticals for review 30 days before publication/presentation
- As of Dec 2025, Tau data integrated into main OASIS-3 project
3. Bio-Hermes-001
Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation
Application Requirements
- Create a free account on AD Workbench (alzheimersdata.org)
- Request access through the AD Discovery Portal
- Accept Terms of Use
- Available since August 1, 2025
Approval Timeline
- Varies by dataset; generally days to weeks after account approval
What You Get
- Blood biomarkers: Comprehensive plasma/serum biomarker panels
- Digital cognitive tests: Novel digital cognitive assessment data
- Retinal imaging: Retinal exam data
- Speech analysis: Voice/speech biomarker data
- PET imaging: Traditional amyloid/tau PET
- Deeply diverse cohort: One of the most diverse AD datasets available
- Most comprehensive biomarker dataset in Alzheimer's research history
Restrictions
- Must use data for Alzheimer's/dementia research purposes
- Must accept AD Workbench Terms of Use
- Free access, no cost
4. ADSP / NIAGADS
Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project / NIA Genetics of AD Data Storage Site
Application Requirements
- Current IRB approval and protocol for the proposed project (must have 6+ months remaining)
- NIA Genomic Data Sharing Plan (signed by PI and Institutional Signing Official)
- NIAGADS Data Distribution Agreement
- Derived/Secondary Data Return Plan describing what data you will return
- Research use statement (technical and non-technical)
Approval Timeline
- Applications reviewed by Data Access Committee
- Typically 4-8 weeks (depends on completeness of application)
- Approval valid for 1 year (renewable)
- IRB must have 6+ months validity at time of review
What You Get
- Whole Genome Sequences: 58,507 in CRAMs, gVCFs
- Whole Exome Sequences: 20,503 in CRAMs, gVCFs
- Quality-controlled VCFs: Project-level variant calls
- Harmonized phenotypes: Standardized clinical data
- Formats: CRAM, gVCF, VCF, CSV
Restrictions
- Must return derived/secondary data to NIAGADS upon publication or DAR expiration
- Data only for approved research use statement
- Local IRB approval required
- Cannot share with unauthorized users
5. HCP-Aging
Human Connectome Project - Aging / AABC
Application Requirements
- Create NDA (NIMH Data Archive) account
- Submit Data Use Certification (DUC) via NDA Permissions Dashboard
- Describe how data will be accessed, managed, and eventually deleted
- Institutional sign-off required
- Annual renewal with progress report
Approval Timeline
What You Get
- Lifespan 2.0 Release: 725 HCP-A participants + AABC Release 2 (1,396 participants)
- Structural MRI: T1w, T2w, high-res hippocampal T2
- Functional MRI: Resting state fMRI, task fMRI
- Diffusion MRI: DTI
- ASL: Arterial spin labeling perfusion
- Phenotypic data: Demographics, behavioral assessments
- Total size: 22+ TB
- Formats: NIfTI, CIFTI, CSV
Restrictions
- Must adhere to consent-based data use limitations
- Cannot attempt to re-identify participants
- Must describe data management/deletion plan
- Annual renewal required
6. PREVENT-AD
Pre-symptomatic Evaluation of Novel Treatments for AD
Application Requirements
- Open imaging data: Freely accessible at openpreventad.loris.ca -- just register
- Sensitive data (CSF, genetics, cognition): Apply at registeredpreventad.loris.ca
- Must agree to standard good data use practices
- Must meet ethics requirements and keep data secure
- Findable through Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform (CONP)
Approval Timeline
- Open data: Immediate after registration
- Registered data: Days to weeks for qualified researcher approval
What You Get
- Imaging: Up to 5 years longitudinal MRI data (structural, functional)
- Biomarkers: Cerebrospinal fluid biochemistry
- Genetics: Genetic information
- Cognitive: Neurocognitive assessments
- Neurosensory: Sensory capacity measurements
- Medical: Clinical/medical information
- Formats: BIDS-compatible NIfTI, CSV
Restrictions
- Must use for neuroscience research as stipulated in consent forms
- Cannot attempt to re-identify participants
- Must acknowledge PREVENT-AD in publications
7. ANMerge (AddNeuroMed)
Application Requirements
- Create a free Synapse account (accounts.synapse.org)
- Accept data use conditions on Synapse
- No complex approval process -- this is an open-access dataset
Approval Timeline
- Immediate to days -- relatively straightforward once Synapse account is set up
What You Get
- Clinical assessments: Longitudinal observational cohort data
- MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging
- Genotyping: Genetic variants
- Transcriptomics: Gene expression profiling (whole-blood RNA)
- Proteomics: Blood plasma proteomics
- Formats: CSV, processed data tables
- Fully interoperable between modalities with rigorous data curation
Restrictions
- Must cite the dataset and primary publication
- Standard Synapse data use conditions apply
8. ROSMAP
Religious Orders Study / Memory and Aging Project
Application Requirements
- Omics data on Synapse: Register for free Synapse account; some datasets require a signed Data Use Certificate (DUC)
- Clinical/demographic data: Request through Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (RADC) Research Resource Sharing Hub
- Additional phenotypes: Separate request through RADC
Approval Timeline
- Synapse open data: Days (account registration)
- DUC-protected data: 2-4 weeks for approval
- RADC data: Variable, typically weeks
What You Get
- Genomics: Whole-genome sequencing
- Transcriptomics: RNA-seq, single-nucleus RNA-seq
- Epigenomics: DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin accessibility
- Proteomics: Mass spectrometry-based proteomics
- Metabolomics: Metabolite profiling
- Clinical: Longitudinal clinical assessments (since 1990s)
- Neuropathology: Post-mortem brain tissue analyses
- Formats: FASTQ, BAM, VCF, CSV, H5AD
Restrictions
- Must acknowledge data source in publications
- DUC-protected datasets (esp. Mayo/Broad samples from deceased individuals) have additional consent requirements
- Must use for research purposes consistent with informed consent
9. Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA)
Application Requirements
- Apply via LONI IDA or GAAIN
- Agree to Data Use Agreement
- Describe research project and collaborators
- Must be a qualified academic or industry researcher
Approval Timeline
- 2-4 weeks for LONI IDA review
- GAAIN requests reviewed individually
What You Get
- Clinical data: Longitudinal data, 1-12 visits at ~15-month intervals
- MRI: T1w, T2w-FLAIR, diffusion MRI from 1,802 participants
- Future releases: De-faced amyloid PET images planned
- Molecular data: Whole-genome genotype + gene expression from 2,655 individuals (842M+ datapoints)
- Interactive tool: Multiomic Atlas of AD Brain Endophenotypes (free web app)
- Formats: NIfTI, CSV
Restrictions
- Standard DUA restrictions apply
- Cannot re-identify participants
- Must acknowledge Mayo Clinic in publications
10. AIBL
Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle
Application Requirements
- Apply via LONI IDA online form
- Read and agree to AIBL project Terms of Use (carefully)
- Describe your research and list collaborators
- Can apply jointly for AIBL + ADNI data
Approval Timeline
- 2-4 weeks (similar to ADNI process via LONI)
What You Get
- Neuroimaging: Amyloid PET (PiB, flutemetamol), FDG PET, structural MRI
- Blood biomarkers: Amyloid-beta, tau, inflammatory markers
- CSF biomarkers: Cerebrospinal fluid analytes
- Cognitive assessments: Battery of neuropsychological tests
- Genetics: APOE genotyping and broader genetic data
- Lifestyle: Diet, exercise, sleep, social engagement data
- Longitudinal: Assessments every 18 months
- Formats: DICOM/NIfTI (imaging), CSV (clinical)
Restrictions
- Must comply with AIBL Terms of Use
- Acknowledge AIBL in publications
- Cannot re-identify participants
11. DIAN
Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network
Application Requirements
- Submit DIAN Observational Data Request Form
- Research proposal reviewed by DIAN Obs Resource Committee
- Must be a qualified researcher
- Must accept and comply with DIAN data sharing/publication policies
- Strict publication policy: all publications using DIAN data must follow their guidelines
Approval Timeline
- Weeks to months -- committee review required
- More restrictive than most datasets
What You Get
- MRI: Structural and functional brain imaging
- PET: Amyloid and tau PET scans
- Clinical: Longitudinal cognitive/clinical assessments
- Biofluid: CSF and blood biomarkers
- Genetics: Deep genetic phenotyping (PSEN1, PSEN2, APP mutations)
- 15+ years of longitudinal data on autosomal dominant AD
- Unique value: Only large-scale dataset on dominantly inherited (genetic) AD
Restrictions
- Strict publication and authorship policies
- Violations can result in being barred from future data/biospecimen requests
- Potential institutional involvement or legal action for policy deviations
- Must comply with DIAN-TU Data and Biospecimen Sharing Policy
12. AD Workbench / AD Discovery Portal
Application Requirements
- Create a free user account on AD Workbench
- Account creation is automatic; data permissions require review
- Use FAIR Search for data discovery
- Request workspace for analysis
- Accept Terms of Use
Approval Timeline
- Account creation: Immediate
- Data access permissions: Variable per dataset (days to weeks)
What You Get
- 100+ datasets: Imaging, omics, clinical, multi-modal
- Cloud workspaces: Secure, private analysis environments
- Tools: Data visualization, curation, combination tools
- Bio-Hermes-001: Available through this portal
- Free: No cost for any tool or data access
Restrictions
- Must be approved by ADDI
- Data use per individual dataset terms
- Research purposes only
13. GAAIN
Global Alzheimer's Association Interactive Network
Application Requirements
- Register on gaaindata.org
- Free access for researchers worldwide
- Use the Interrogator tool for cohort discovery and analysis
Approval Timeline
- Immediate to days for most federated queries
- Individual partner datasets may have their own access requirements
What You Get
- Federated data platform: Query across multiple cohorts simultaneously
- Clinical data: Cognitive scores, demographics, diagnoses
- Imaging data: Various imaging modalities from partner studies
- Genomics: Genetic data from contributing cohorts
- Analytics tools: Built-in analytics and visualization
- Partner datasets: MCSA, ADNI, and many international cohorts
Restrictions
- Individual partner datasets retain their own data use policies
- Cannot download all raw data -- federated query model
- Must acknowledge GAAIN and contributing studies
14. AMP-AD (via Synapse)
Accelerating Medicines Partnership - Alzheimer's Disease
Application Requirements
- Register for free Synapse account
- Browse public content freely
- Download data requires Synapse login
- Some datasets require signed Data Use Certificate (DUC)
- DUC datasets (esp. from Mayo Clinic/Broad Institute with deceased donor samples) have additional review
Approval Timeline
- Open data: Immediate after registration
- DUC-protected data: 1-4 weeks
What You Get
- Multi-omics: Genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics
- Studies include: ROSMAP, MayoRNAseq, MSBB (Mount Sinai Brain Bank), many more
- Clinical: Longitudinal clinical and neuropathological data
- Tools: Analysis pipelines, pre-computed results
- Formats: FASTQ, BAM, VCF, CSV, H5AD, AnnData
Restrictions
- Data use conditions per informed consent of each study
- Must acknowledge AMP-AD and NIA
- Some datasets have embargo periods for new data
15. ADNI - BONUS ESSENTIAL DATASET
Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Application Requirements
- Review and agree to ADNI Data Use Agreement
- Application reviewed by Data Sharing and Publications Committee (DPC)
- Must be affiliated with a scientific or educational institution
- Describe proposed research or data use
Approval Timeline
What You Get
- MRI: Structural, functional, DTI
- PET: Amyloid (AV45/PiB), Tau (AV1451), FDG
- Biomarkers: CSF (amyloid-beta, tau, p-tau), blood biomarkers
- Genomics: GWAS, WGS, WES
- Clinical: Longitudinal cognitive/clinical assessments
- Formats: DICOM, NIfTI, CSV
Restrictions (IMPORTANT - 2025 UPDATE)
- New AI restriction: ADNI DUA now explicitly forbids use of external AI tools on the data
- AI tools restricted to within university/company (no external release allowed)
- Cannot share data with others
- Must acknowledge ADNI in all publications
- Must follow ADNI publication policies
16. Allen SEA-AD
Seattle Alzheimer's Disease Brain Cell Atlas
Application Requirements
- Open/processed data: No application needed -- freely downloadable
- Raw sequencing data: Apply through Synapse AD Knowledge Portal
Approval Timeline
- Open data: Immediate
- Controlled raw data: 1-4 weeks via Synapse
What You Get
- snRNA-seq: Single-nucleus RNA sequencing
- snATAC-seq: Single-nucleus chromatin accessibility
- Multiome: Combined RNA + ATAC from same nuclei
- Neuropathology: Quantitative pathology data
- Spatial transcriptomics: MERFISH data
- Formats: H5AD, AnnData, CSV, FASTQ (raw)
- Already in your project: You have SEA-AD metadata in
/data/allen_sea_ad/
Restrictions
- Must cite per Allen Institute Citation Policy
- Cite both primary publication and specific dataset
17. UK Biobank
Application Requirements
- Register as a researcher
- Submit research application describing study
- Institutional affiliation required
- Application fee: ~2,000-5,000 GBP (varies by data type)
- Ethics approval may be required
Approval Timeline
- Several weeks to months for full approval
What You Get
- Brain MRI: 26,000+ participants with structural/functional imaging
- 4,000+ imaging-derived phenotypes: Pre-computed brain measures
- Genetics: Genome-wide genotyping, exome sequencing, WGS
- Clinical: GP records, hospital admissions, cognitive tests
- Lifestyle: Diet, exercise, socioeconomic data
- Longitudinal: Repeat visits over 15+ years
- Formats: Various (bulk data downloads)
Restrictions
- Application fee required
- Strict data security requirements
- Must return results/findings
- UK-based ethics oversight
- Not AD-specific but massive AD-relevant subset
18. EEG/MEG Datasets for AD
18a. OpenNeuro EEG AD Dataset (ds004504)
| Field |
Details |
| Subjects |
88 (36 AD, 23 FTD, 29 healthy) |
| URL |
https://openneuro.org/datasets/ds004504 |
| Access |
Free, immediate download |
| Format |
BIDS-compliant EEG (EDF) |
| License |
CC0 (public domain) |
| Content |
Resting state EEG (eyes closed), raw + preprocessed |
18b. Complementary Photic Stimulation EEG Dataset (2025)
| Field |
Details |
| Subjects |
Same 88 participants as ds004504 |
| Content |
Eyes-open photic stimulation recordings |
| Format |
BIDS-compliant |
| Published |
April 2025 |
18c. PEARL-Neuro Database
| Field |
Details |
| Subjects |
192 middle-aged (50-63) at-risk participants |
| URL |
https://openneuro.org/datasets/ds004796 |
| Content |
EEG + fMRI + APOE/PICALM genetics + psychometric tests + blood tests |
| Access |
Open access via OpenNeuro |
| Format |
BIDS-compliant |
| Unique value |
Multi-modal (EEG + fMRI) with genetic risk factors |
18d. LEAD Corpus (Research Reference)
| Field |
Details |
| Subjects |
813 across 9 combined datasets (330 public, 483 private) |
| Publication |
https://arxiv.org/html/2502.01678v1 |
| Note |
World's largest EEG-AD corpus; public subset downloadable, private portion restricted |
19. Kaggle AD Datasets
19a. Alzheimer MRI 4-Class Dataset
19b. Augmented Alzheimer MRI Dataset
19c. Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Dataset
19d. OASIS-derived Kaggle Dataset
Note: Kaggle datasets are great for prototyping and model development but are NOT suitable for clinical validation or publications requiring primary data.
20. Additional & Recent Datasets (2025-2026)
20a. OASIS-4 (NEW)
- Latest release in the OASIS series
- MR, clinical, cognitive, and biomarker data for individuals with memory complaints
- Access: Same as OASIS-3 via sites.wustl.edu/oasisbrains
20b. CLARiTI (via NACC - NEW)
20c. Allen Brain Cell Atlas (Broader)
20d. ADNI-4 (Latest Phase)
- URL: https://adni.loni.usc.edu/
- Newest ADNI phase with updated protocols
- Blood-based biomarker focus
- NOTE: New AI restrictions in DUA
20e. Bio-Hermes-002 (Upcoming)
- GAP Foundation + Alamar Biosciences collaboration announced January 2026
- Next-generation biomarker study building on Bio-Hermes-001
- Watch: https://globalalzplatform.org/
SYNTHETIC / AUGMENTED AD DATA APPROACHES
For when real data is insufficient or for pre-training:
| Approach |
Description |
Reference |
| CycleGAN MRI augmentation |
Generate synthetic MRI scans; achieved 95% F1 (vs 89% without) |
Frontiers in Medicine 2025 |
| SMOTE for tabular data |
Oversample minority AD classes in clinical datasets |
Multiple papers 2025 |
| Diffusion model MRI generation |
Generate 2D slice projections of 3D MRI scans |
ScienceDirect 2026 |
| 3D CNN with data augmentation |
Standard augmentation (flip, rotate, scale) on 3D MRI |
arxiv 2505.04097 |
| AdaBoost synthetic generation |
Boost training data diversity for clinical features |
PMC 2025 |
PRIORITY APPLICATION ORDER (Recommended)
Based on ease of access, data richness, and relevance to multi-modal AD research:
Tier 1 -- Apply Immediately (Fast Approval, High Value)
- NACC -- 48hr turnaround, 54K subjects, multi-modal
- AD Workbench / Bio-Hermes-001 -- Free account, 80K+ results, diverse cohort
- ANMerge -- Open on Synapse, 1,702 subjects, multi-modal
- Allen SEA-AD -- Open download, single-cell multi-omics (you already have metadata)
- OpenNeuro EEG datasets -- Immediate free download, BIDS format
- Kaggle datasets -- Immediate, good for prototyping
Tier 2 -- Apply This Week (1-4 Week Approval)
- OASIS-3 -- NITRC registration, rich imaging data
- AMP-AD / Synapse -- Free account, massive multi-omics
- ROSMAP -- Via Synapse + RADC, deep longitudinal omics
- AIBL -- Via LONI IDA, good imaging + lifestyle data
- ADNI -- ~2 week review, gold standard (watch AI restrictions)
- MCSA -- Via GAAIN/LONI, large clinical + imaging release
Tier 3 -- Apply When Ready (Longer Approval, More Requirements)
- HCP-Aging -- NDA DUC required, 22+ TB connectome data
- ADSP/NIAGADS -- IRB required, massive genomics
- DIAN -- Committee review, unique genetic AD data
- UK Biobank -- Fee required, months for approval, massive scale
- PREVENT-AD registered -- For pre-symptomatic biomarkers
- GAAIN -- Federated queries across 500K subjects
QUICK REFERENCE: ALL APPLICATION URLS
ESTIMATED TOTAL DATA AVAILABLE
| Category |
Approximate Scale |
| Total unique subjects across all datasets |
~700,000+ |
| Genomics subjects |
~150,000+ (ADSP, ROSMAP, UK Biobank) |
| Neuroimaging subjects |
~50,000+ (ADNI, OASIS, HCP, NACC, AIBL, UK Biobank) |
| Clinical/cognitive subjects |
~600,000+ (NACC, UK Biobank, GAAIN) |
| Single-cell omics |
~84 donors, millions of cells (SEA-AD) |
| EEG subjects |
~1,000+ (OpenNeuro, PEARL-Neuro, LEAD corpus) |
| Blood biomarkers |
~80,000+ results (Bio-Hermes-001) |
| Pre-symptomatic/at-risk |
~2,000+ (PREVENT-AD, DIAN, HCP-Aging) |
