​Now on Brain-CODE: New aging-related dataset on language processing

November 17, 2025

The Ontario Brain Institute has released a new dataset from the Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative on Brain-CODE, examining how the brain processes language through dorsal and ventral pathways.

Stemming from research led by Dr. Jed Meltzer, Senior Scientist at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute and Canada Research Chair in in Interventional Cognitive Neuroscience, this work shows that different parts of the brain handle different aspects of language and that the brain can adjust when one part isn’t working as well. It also helps us understand how the brain reacts when it encounters unusual or incorrect language, both in writing and in speech.

The Parallel Pathways for Language Processing; Functional Disassociation and Compensation dataset offers a unique, multimodal resource for exploring how language is processed – and disrupted – across a range of neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, primary progressive aphasia, and post-stroke aphasia. With a healthy control group for comparison, this dataset enables powerful cross-group analyses.

"This dataset offers a critical view into how the brain processes language across various neurological conditions. In sharing these data on Brain-CODE, it is our hope that researchers can uncover deeper insights into the brain’s adaptive mechanisms by comparing individuals with and without language impairments,” said Dr. Meltzer.

What’s Inside:

  • Rich neuroimaging data (ASL, DWI, MEG, resting-state fMRI, T1/T2-FLAIR)
  • Auditory and visual MEG tasks
  • Comprehensive neuropsychological profiles and demographics
  • Linked speech recordings via Dementiabank

Potential Use Cases:

  • Investigate how different brain regions compensate for language deficits
  • Identify early biomarkers of language-related neurodegeneration
  • Correlate structural and functional changes with behavioral symptoms
  • Develop or validate machine learning models for predicting language decline
  • Explore cross-modal processing of semantic and syntactic anomalies

The Parallel Pathways for Language Processing; Functional Disassociation and Compensation dataset is ideal for researchers in neurolinguistics, cognitive neuroscience, clinical neuropsychology, AI in healthcare, and beyond.

As part of OBI’s commitment to open science, these data are now available on Brain-CODE, OBI’s neuroinformatics platform, providing researchers worldwide with a powerful resource to advance discoveries in language processing. By enhancing our understanding of how neurological disorders affect communication, this dataset can support the development of more effective diagnostic tools, personalized treatments, and rehabilitation strategies.

> EXPLORE THESE DATA ON BRAIN-CODE

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