Knee osteoarthritis is the most common cause of disability in older adults. There are three million Canadians currently afflicted with this condition, and it’s predicted that this number will increase by 50 per cent by 2020. The costs of medical care, drugs, and lost wages resulting from this disability is a major economic burden in Canada. Several research studies have demonstrated the benefit of non-drug therapy such as education and exercise for people with knee osteoarthritis. However, many individuals remain undiagnosed for their condition and don’t receive appropriate interventions. Dr. Carlo Marra is researching the potential of pharmacists, who are highly accessible health care practitioners, to help identify people with knee osteoarthritis by using a simple screening questionnaire. Next, he will investigate whether pharmacists can initiate an intervention that brings together patient, physiotherapist, and family practitioner to improve physical function, minimize pain, and reduce the economic burden of this disease. In addition, regular follow-ups will occur to assess and encourage compliance with the intervention, assess outcomes and answer any questions. Dr. Marra anticipates his research will demonstrate the value of this innovative, cost-effective strategy to improve outcomes and quality of life for people with knee osteoarthritis.
Research Location: Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Falls risk assessment in elderly, community-dwelling women with age-related macular degeneration
About 30 percent of elderly people fall once or more a year, resulting in injury, disability, loss of independence and enormous cost to the health care system. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative disease of the retina, is the leading cause of legal blindness in Canada and the developed world. The most severe form of AMD affects one in 20 elderly people and is associated with a complete loss of central vision. However, data on fall risk among elderly people with AMD is extremely limited. Shelagh Szabo is conducting the first study to assess whether people with AMD are at higher risk of falling than other elderly individuals because of visual impairment. As people with AMD score poorly on visual measures that predict falls in other individuals, it seems likely that those with AMD may have a higher incidence of falls than those with normal vision. Conversely, as most AMD patients have reduced levels of physical activity due to their poor vision, they may actually fall less than healthy people. If the research confirms that people with AMD are frequent fallers, prevention programs could be targeted for the visually impaired to reduce falls and injury, as well as fall-related costs to the health system.
The structure and function of the Striatum in First Episode Psychosis
Schizophrenia is a complex and devastating mental disorder, marked by a breakdown in the relation between thoughts, feelings, and actions. Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized language, and disorganized or catatonic behaviour. About one percent of the population develops schizophrenia, usually in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, the cause of this disabling illness remains unclear. Recent evidence suggests disturbances in early brain development may predispose people to schizophrenia. The striatum, a region of the brain involved in motor, sensory, and cognitive processes, is thought to be involved in the development of the disorder. Babak Khorram is using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to compare brain scans of schizophrenia patients and healthy volunteers. Babak is investigating whether abnormalities of the striatum are present when the illness begins, or emerge as a result of treatment, and the effect on patients’ cognitive functioning and treatment. The results could enable clinicians to screen people thought to be susceptible to the disorder, due to genetic and environmental factors. The research could ultimately improve diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.