Scientists have made an urgent call for more diversity and inclusion in neuroscience studies to enhance their impact on patient outcomes.
Currently, many studies primarily include participants who are western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic but the impact of this is that research findings may not apply to everyone.
For example, mental illnesses can show up differently across various groups, and current research may not capture these differences. This paper, published in Nature Neuroscience argues that ignoring these differences can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and treatments. It also points out that excluding certain groups from research can worsen existing health disparities.
“Without diverse representation in human neuroscience research, we risk developing a skewed understanding of the brain and behaviour,” said Corresponding author, Elvisha Dhamala, assistant professor in the Institute of Behavioral Sciences at the Feinstein Institutes
“This can lead to misdiagnosis, ineffective treatments, and ultimately, exacerbate health disparities for those already marginalised.”
The authors offer several recommendations for making scientific research more inclusive, including: recruiting participants from diverse communities and avoid relying solely on university students; collecting information about participants’ backgrounds using validated questionnaires and ensure that data collection methods are accessible to everyone; and, analysing data in ways that consider the impact of sociodemographic factors.
They should also be careful not to oversimplify findings or make harmful generalisations about specific groups.
In the perspective, they stress that inclusive research is not optional and call on fellow researchers, institutions, and funding agencies to prioritize diversity and inclusion in all aspects of human biomedical research.
“As Dr. Dhamala’s work shows, inclusive research is essential for understanding the human brain and building an equitable healthcare system,” said Anil Malhotra, co-director of the Institute of Behavioral Science at the Feinstein Institutes.
“We must prioritise diversity in biomedical research to ensure accurate diagnoses, personalised treatments, and health equity for all.”
Recent research from Dr. Dhamala also showed that sex and gender identity impact neurobiology. Using MRI scans to observe brain activity, they examined how sex and gender were linked to brain networks.
The findings showed distinct patterns of brain activity were associated with sex assigned at birth and gender identity, particularly in brain regions associated with social cognition and emotional processing.
