Aperçu du projet

The goal of this study is to advance knowledge regarding the association of vascular risk factors and blood vessels with brain structure and function in youth with severe mental illness. In addition to traditional vascular risk factors (body weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels), we are planning to study eye blood vessels. Eye blood vessels, which are very closely related to brain blood vessels, may show early signs of cardiovascular disease before body weight, blood pressure, or cholesterol levels rise. We predict that worse vascular risk factors and eye blood vessels will be associated with worse brain structure and brain function in youth with severe mental illness. We will also examine whether these vascular-brain and eye blood vessel-brain associations differ in females vs. males, and in youth who have had traumatic childhood experiences.

We plan to study 200 youth with severe mental illness between the ages of 13 and 24, in the ongoing Toronto Adolescent and Youth (TAY) cohort study based at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Of the 200 youth, half will be female. The TAY study includes imaging of brain structure and function (including cognitive testing). Cognitive tests will assess memory, attention, and problem solving. We will also use finger-stick blood tests, blood pressure measurements, weight, and eye vessel photography. The eye vessel photos are easy to acquire, do not require eye drops, and are similar to what is collected during standard visits to the ophthalmologist. We will account for social, racial, and economic backgrounds, in addition to other variables that might influence study findings (e.g., medication use). We will analyze data within women and men separately, to determine if the relationship between vascular risk factors, eye blood vessels, and brain measures differs based on sex. We will also explore whether gender identity influences this link by incorporating scales that measure gender-related traits.

Chef d'équipe

Megan Mio , CAMH

Partenaire et Donateurs

Heart and Stroke Foundation