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ADNI is the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative: a longitudinal research study whose data are shared with approved researchers through the LONI Image and Data Archive (IDA). This page is for researchers, research administrators and data stewards who need to know what ADNI holds, how access is granted, and which acknowledgement and manuscript-review duties come with the data. It covers the Alzheimer’s study only; the same letters are used for unrelated things (see the FAQ).
What is ADNI, and what does the name mean?
ADNI stands for Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Its official site describes a longitudinal study of how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progresses across normal aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, with sites in the USA and Canada. The stated goal is to detect AD at the earliest possible stage (pre-dementia), and the data are provided without embargo to scientists worldwide (ADNI About page, read 2026-11-07).
The ADNI data use agreement gives the study’s own summary: launched in 2003 as a public-private partnership, with a primary goal of testing whether serial MRI, PET, other biological markers, and clinical and neuropsychological assessment can be combined to measure the progression of MCI and early AD (Data Use Agreement, read 2026-11-07). The About page dates the launch of the first phase, ADNI1, to October 2004.
Who runs ADNI and what does the dataset cover?
The data use agreement states that the grantee organization is the Northern California Institute for Research and Education, that the study is coordinated by the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California, and that the data are disseminated by the Laboratory for Neuro Imaging (LONI) at the University of Southern California. Private-sector contributions are facilitated by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The official data pages are branded as powered by LONI.
Describing the ADNI dataset
The official data page describes a longitudinal research dataset in which participants follow a Schedule of Events assigned by clinical diagnosis (cognitively unimpaired, MCI, or AD/dementia). Data types listed there are:
- structural, functional and molecular brain imaging (MRI and PET);
- biofluid biomarkers;
- cognitive assessments and clinical questionnaires;
- genetics and other omics data;
- neuropathology and demographics;
- remotely collected data from ADNI4.
Phases and cohort sizes
The About page (read 2026-11-07) describes the study in phases. Figures below are as stated there; ADNI3 numbers are given as ranges.
| Phase | What the About page states |
|---|---|
| ADNI1 | Launched October 2004; 200 controls, 400 MCI, 200 AD; 6-year, $67 million in contributions from the National Institute on Aging, 13 pharmaceutical companies and two foundations |
| ADNI GO | Adds 200 early MCI participants to roughly 500 continuing participants |
| ADNI2 | Adds 150 controls, 150 early MCI, 150 late MCI and 200 AD |
| ADNI3 | Controls: 135-500 new plus 295-330 rolled over from ADNI2; MCI: 150-515 new plus 275-320 rolled over; mild AD dementia: 85-185 new plus 130-150 rolled over (all approximate) |
| ADNI4 | Linked from the About page; the data page lists remotely collected ADNI4 data |
How do you get access to ADNI data?
The official data page sets out an application route (read 2026-11-07):
- Read and accept the ADNI Data Use Agreement.
- Submit the online application on the Image and Data Archive (IDA), giving your institutional affiliation and proposed uses of the data.
- The Data Sharing and Publications Committee generally responds within about two weeks. Incomplete or unfocused applications are not approved.
- If approved, the IDA login details are emailed to you.
- Update your account information annually, or the account expires. Co-investigators and manuscripts are managed within the account.
The sign-in for approved users is reached from the official ADNI data pages (adni.loni.usc.edu), which link to the IDA. For the general concept, see CASRAI’s entry on the data use agreement.
Is the ADNI app free?
The official data page describes access through the online IDA application and does not describe a mobile app. The access steps it lists include no fee.
What do you owe ADNI when you use the data?
This is the part most search results skip. The Data Use Agreement text (revision dated December 20, 2016, as hosted on the ADNI site and read 2026-11-07) includes these obligations. Always sign the current version presented during your application.
- No redistribution. Data may not be redistributed in any manner, and anyone on your team or with whom you share the data must comply with the agreement.
- De-identified data only. You will not try to establish the identity of, or contact, ADNI subjects. See de-identification.
- Annual updates. You respond promptly to annual requests to update your information.
- Abstracts. Cite ADNI as the data source and the ADNI funding sources as space allows; do not cite ADNI acknowledgement in the abstract’s authorship line.
- Manuscripts. Add the phrase “for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative” after the named authors, with the standard footnote about data use and the list of ADNI investigators; include acknowledgement language in the methods section (some variation is mandatory); and acknowledge ADNI funding in the support section.
- Pre-submission review. Submit manuscripts to the ADNI Data and Publications Committee before submitting to a journal. The review is not a scientific review; it checks that the acknowledgement items are implemented, and is to be completed within two weeks.
- Incident reporting. Report any use or disclosure not provided for by the agreement within 15 days of becoming aware of it.
The official data page also links the “ADNI Manuscript Citations”, “Group Acknowledgements List” and “Data Sharing and Publication Policy” documents. For general practice on citing datasets, see data citation principles.
Strengths and limits
- Strength: a longitudinal dataset combining imaging, biofluid biomarkers, cognitive measures and genetics, provided without embargo (About page).
- Strength: a defined, documented access route with a stated review timeframe.
- Limit: access is by application and approval, not open download; applications must state proposed uses.
- Limit: no redistribution, so collaborators need their own approved access.
- Limit: the Data Use Agreement notes that downloaded processed data may be preliminary.
- Limit: the publication workflow adds a committee review step before journal submission. See longitudinal study design for how repeated-measures datasets shape analysis planning.
Alternatives and related resources
ADNI is one of several controlled-access or shared research data resources. These CASRAI guides cover others; each has its own access rules, so compare their terms directly.
| Resource | CASRAI guide |
|---|---|
| UK Biobank | UK Biobank data access |
| OpenNeuro | OpenNeuro and BIDS neuroimaging data sharing |
| Allen Brain Map | Allen Brain Map data sharing and licensing |
General background: data repository.
FAQ
What is the meaning of the name ADNI?
Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a longitudinal study of Alzheimer’s disease progression whose data are shared with approved researchers.
Can you describe the ADNI dataset?
It is a longitudinal dataset of imaging (MRI, PET), biofluid biomarkers, cognitive and clinical assessments, genetics, neuropathology and demographics, hosted on the LONI Image and Data Archive.
Is the ADNI app free?
The official data page describes access through the online IDA application, not an app, and lists no fee in its access steps.
What does ADNI mean on TikTok?
This page does not cover social-media usage. It describes only the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative research study.
How do I cite ADNI?
Follow the acknowledgement and by-line language in the Data Use Agreement and the manuscript-citation documents linked from the official data page.
Sources
- ADNI data page: adni.loni.usc.edu/data-samples/adni-data (read 2026-11-07)
- ADNI About page: adni.loni.usc.edu/about (read 2026-11-07)
- ADNI Data Use Agreement (PDF, rev. December 20, 2016): ADNI_Data_Use_Agreement.pdf (read 2026-11-07)
