Approximately 4 percent of Canadian children are diagnosed with Attention–Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Their symptoms pose significant coping challenges for the child as well as for the parents and are often comorbid with other mental health problems. Indeed, the greatest impairment appears to occur in families of children who have not only ADHD, but also comorbid disorders. However, family factors associated with disorders comorbid with ADHD have received relatively little attention in past studies, with most studies focusing on comorbid oppositional or conduct problems, and few studies examining comorbid anxiety disorders in children with ADHD. Sharon Lee is studying parenting practices associated with childhood ADHD and co-occuring anxiety disorders, She will be comparing parent-child interactions in children with ADHD and comorbid anxiety, children with each disorder alone, and a control group. Analyses will examine how parental responsiveness relates to child comorbid anxiety over and above parental levels of anxiety. This research will help us to understand how parenting style may be related to comorbid anxiety in children with ADHD and such knowledge will be useful in tailoring the empirically-supported parenting interventions used for childhood ADHD to more fully account for the presence of comorbid anxiety.
Research Location: University of British Columbia - Point Grey
Exposure to Residential Air Pollution and Diagnosis of Acute Otitis Media During the First Two Years of Life in British Columbia, Canada
Middle ear infection, or otitis media, affects up to 80 per cent of children in North America and is the leading reason children under three visit the doctor, take antibiotics, or have surgery. The costs associated with doctors’ visits, prescriptions and parental work leave are considerable. Elaina MacIntyre is continuing her earlier MSFHR-funded research investigating whether exposure to air pollution increases the risk of middle ear infection in children. The condition is a common complication of upper respiratory tract infections. Since air pollutants irritate the upper respiratory tract, it’s plausible they could play a role in middle ear infections. Recent studies in Europe have found an association between living in areas with high air pollution and the incidence of middle ear infection, but this relationship has not been previously examined in North America. MacIntyre is conducting the first North American study to analyze whether this type of infection is linked to exposure to air pollution from industry, traffic and wood burning sources. Results of her study could be useful in assessing the public health impact and health care costs of middle ear infections, and in helping reduce the incidence through strategies to prevent or limit environmental exposure of young children to environmental conditions that contribute to the development of these infections.
Molecular Basis of Cancer Cell Invasion
Tumour invasion is the cellular process that initiates the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumour to new sites in a patient’s body (metastasis). Inhibiting this process is important, as solid tumours are much more readily surgically removed if metastasis hasn’t yet occurred. Researchers have identified Dihydromotuporamine C (dhMotC) as a novel tumour invasion inhibitor that may have therapeutic potential. Lianne McHardy is investigating the molecular mechanisms of this compound, focusing specifically on how the protein SNF7 is involved in these mechanisms. SNF7 is normally required for the sorting of intracellular vesicles, which are a basic tool of the cell for organizing metabolism, transport, enzyme storage, as well as being chemical reaction chambers. Lianne will investigate a potential link between the mechanisms controlling vesicle sorting and the invasion abilities of a tumour cell. By pinpointing the mechanisms that allow for metastasis, her studies may aid in the development of dhMotC as a potential drug candidate for metastatic cancers.
Step towards the prevention of gastric cancer and ulcers: understanding the role of water in Helicobacter pylori transmission
Peptic ulcers affect approximately 3 to 5 per cent of the Canadian population. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)—a bacterium that causes chronic inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach—plays a key role in the development of peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis and gastric cancer. As H. pylori has been detected in water, drinking water may play a direct role in transmission of the bacterium. To date, minimal research has been conducted regarding the potential association between H. pylori infection and detailed water system characteristics, such as water source, treatment, well depth and aquifer. Neil Bellack is now conducting the first population-based research project that will examine the association between H. pylori infection and exposures to different water system characteristics, as well as other factors that may affect transmission of H. pylori such as sewage disposal methods and land use. Results from this study will identify the role that water systems and water quality play in the transmission of H. pylori, and point to potential mechanisms for blocking transmission of the bacterium and preventing infection.
Biophysical Investigation of Mutations In The P/Q Type Calcium Channel Associated With Familial Hemiplegic Migraine
Migraines affect about 15 per cent of the population, with the incidence being two times greater in women than in men. Symptoms of common migraines include pain, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, and smells, sleep disruption, and depression. Progress in developing new treatments has been slow due to a lack in understanding regarding the complex genetic roots of the disorder. Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) is a sub-type of common migraines with similar symptoms, but with simple genetic roots, making FHM a good model for study purposes. Most patients with FHM experience a visual aura – such as shimmering lights, wavy images or temporary vision loss – before the headache starts and varying degrees of paralysis in one side of the body (called hemiparesis). The symptoms can last from a few minutes to several days, in some cases outlasting the headache. About 50 per cent of patients with FHM have mutations in the CACNA1A gene. Paul Adams is investigating these mutations to better understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie migraines – an important step towards developing effective new treatments to alleviate all migraines.
Lung disease epidemiology: evaluation of methods suitable for analyzing change in respiratory symptoms in longitudinal studies
In the past two decades, researchers have examined how lung health is affected by changes in smoking and environmental and occupational exposures, and in the process have learned a great deal about the way lung disease develops. However, most of these studies focused on lung function tests rather than information on chest symptoms, even though detailed information on these symptoms has been collected in a questionnaire used around the world since 1978. A change in symptoms, not in lung function, is the most common reason people seek medical attention and express concerns about potentially harmful workplace exposures. Victoria Arrandale is examining data on changes in coughing, phlegm, wheezing and breathlessness to determine if unused data on these symptoms can help explain the development of chronic pulmonary disease, and contribute to disease prevention through occupational surveillance programs. The results could flag early signs that have been overlooked until now. Ultimately, the goal is to lessen the impact of occupational lung disease by controlling exposures and developing early methods of diagnosing disease onset.
The Role of Dopamine in Depression
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that typically begins with minor motor impairments and eventually progresses to severe immobility, as well as mood and cognitive dysfunction. About 40 per cent of patients experience major depression, marked by hopelessness, inability to experience pleasure, suicidal thoughts and delusions/hallucinations. While depression is an understandable reaction to living with a chronic and potentially debilitating illness, the rate of depression in PD patients is nearly double the rate of depression seen in comparably disabled patients with other chronic illnesses, indicating the likelihood of a neurochemical element. Common to this motor disorder and mood disorder is the neurochemical dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is involved in many brain activities, including movement and emotion. Elliott Bogusz is investigating the role of dopamine as it relates to depression in Parkinson’s disease patients. He is identifying differences between depressed and non-depressed PD patients using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), a neuroimaging technology, to visualize dopamine activity in the brain. This research could provide insight into the development of Parkinson’s disease and the neurochemical activity associated with depression. It also may contribute to the development of dopamine-related therapy in the treatment of depression and to screening depressed patients for Parkinsons.
Role of Notch-1 in Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes deficits in memory, language and other cognitive functions. A family history increases the risk for Alzheimer’s by about four-fold. Early onset, familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) runs in families, and strikes under the age of 60. Brain cells shrink or disappear, and are replaced by irregularly shaped spots, called amyloid beta plaques (A-beta). A-beta is normally found in brain cells, but harmfully accumulates in FAD – a process that is facilitated by “presenilin” proteins. FAD has been linked to multiple genetic mutations, including defects in these proteins. These proteins also decrease the production of Notch-1, a brain receptor involved in learning and memory. Notch-1 is essential for normal development, but its role in the mature brain is unknown. Kelley Bromley is investigating the ability of Notch-1 to protect brain cells from the toxic effects of A-beta plaques, and how levels of Notch-1 change during the aging process. Her research could help explain how Alzheimer’s disease develops and potentially lead to new treatments for the condition.
Role of Myosin Va in trafficking of neuronal vesicles
Neurons (brain cells) are separated by gaps called synapses and communicate via mechanisms which enable them to send and receive signals across these gaps. Inadequate development and maintenance of synapses is associated with a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions, from epilepsy to anxiety disorders, autism and mental retardation. Neurons use axons and dendrites to communicate across synapses. Axons are long fibers that transmit impulses to other neurons. Dendrites form a network of branches that receive signals from other nerve cells. Newly-made proteins within neurons must be transported to appropriate sites in axons or dendrites for proper communication to occur. However, little is known about how these proteins are accurately relocated. Frederick Dobie is studying one of the molecules thought to be involved in protein transport (Myosin Va), which is widespread in the brain, to clarify its role in pre and post-synaptic communication. Research has shown that a mutation in Myosin Va leads to Griscelli Syndrome, a disorder which causes severe motor and neurological impairment in humans. Other CNS disorders may also result from malfunctions in intracellular transportation of the proteins that facilitate communication between neurons. A better understanding of the action of transport molecules may lead to better methods of treatment for neurological disorders.
The role of dopamine in learning and memory in Caenorhabditis elegans
Dopamine is a chemical (neurotransmitter) that transmits signals between brain cells. Dopamine is involved in motor control, emotion, motivation, cognition, learning and memory. Fluctuations in the level of dopamine in the brain is associated with many conditions that involve deficits in learning and memory, including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and drug addiction. Andrew Giles is studying how dopamine acts to produce learning and memory in C.elegans, a microscopic worm with a nervous system similar to that of humans. Andrew is examining how changes in the levels of dopamine affect the completion of learning and memory tasks. This information will help explain how dopamine functions in human learning and memory, and its role in normal and abnormal behaviours. The results could support the development of new treatments for disorders involving memory and learning deficits.