title: NeuroLOG: sharing neuroimaging data using an ontology-based federated approach.
abstract: This paper describes the design of the NeuroLOG middleware data management layer, which provides a platform to share heterogeneous and distributed neuroimaging data using a federated approach. The semantics of shared information is captured through a multi-layer application ontology and a derived Federated Schema used to align the heterogeneous database schemata from different legacy repositories. The system also provides a facility to translate the relational data into a semantic representation that can be queried using a semantic search engine thus enabling the exploitation of knowledge embedded in the ontology. This work shows the relevance of the distributed approach for neurosciences data management. Although more complex than a centralized approach, it is also more realistic when considering the federation of large data sets, and open strong perspectives to implement multi-centric neurosciences studies.
authors.affiliation: INSERM / INRIA / CNRS / Univ. Rennes 1, IRISA Unit VISAGES U746, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gibaud
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kassel
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dojat
authors.forename: Bénédicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Batrancourt
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Alban
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaignard
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montagnat
mesh_terms: D003199:Computer Systems; D003628:Database Management Systems; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D059906:Neuroimaging; D012984:Software; D018511:Systems Integration; D018875:Vocabulary, Controlled