Student: Kaeli Knudsen

Type of project: Basic, Mind and Body

Grant Type: Undergraduate

Year of Award: 2015

Supervisor: Dr. Carvahlo

Institutions Affiliated: University of Saskatchewan

Description: Epigenetics is a relativity new field that explores the interaction between genes and their environment on an organism. Many mind and body neuroCAM interventions could be operating through epigenetic changes, though an understanding of epigenetics in pathological states is limited. This project seeks to address this gap by exploring the epigenetic changes in a worm model of addiction. By better understanding the gene and environment interactions, scientists might be able to better understand mind and body modalities and improve them.

Type of project: Translational, Personalized Medicine and Mind and Body

Principal Investigator: Dr. Signe Bray

Institutions Affiliated: University of Calgary

Student: Andrea Civitarese (UGRAD)

Awards funded to project: 1

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric condition that is poorly understood despite a wealth of research. One common finding in MDD is reduced volume of the hippocampus, the brain structure that allows memories to be formed, thought to be attributed to reduced birth of new neurons in this region. Physical exercise has been shown to stimulate the birthing of new neurons as well as reduce the severity of MDD symptoms. This project explores the link between these two findings.

Findings: Awaiting final report

Implications: Awaiting final report

Type of project: Translational, Mind and Body and Personalized Medicine

Principal Investigator: Dr. Sean Maw

Institutions Affiliated: Mount Royal University

Student: Amy Varner (UGRAD)

Awards funded to project: 1

Background: Mild traumatic brain injuries (concussions) are a common injury, yet there is little effective diagnostic tools available as most rely on self-reported symptoms or clinician judgement. Electroencephalography (EEG) is the technique that measures “brainwaves” and offers a potential diagnostic option explored in this project.

Findings: An extensive literature review reveals that an EEG based approach to concussion diagnosis would not only be feasible, but potentially superior to physician judgement. The next phase of this project is to initiate a clinical trial to explore the diagnostic utility of EEG based concussion detection.

Implications: Neurology and psychiatry are both seeking biomarkers for various disorders. This project could establish EEG based measures as a biomarker for concussions and open the door for other EEG based biomarkers for other disorders.

Type of project: Translational, Mind and Body and Personalized Medicine

Principal Investigator: Dr. Nicole Culos-Reed

Institutions Affiliated: University of Calgary

Student: Jasmine Maser (UGRAD)

Awards funded to project: 1

Background: Neurocancer is one of the most debilitating diseases with the lowest recover rates. Physical activity has a number of neurological and psychological benefits and this project is an exploratory study on whether these benefits would increase the quality of life in neurocancer patients.

Findings: The patients that completed the study reported increases in cognitive and physical capabilities as well increased well-being.

Implications: While limited in scope, this study supports further exploration of physical activity training programs as an intervention for not only neurocancer patients, but other terminally ill populations as well.

Type of project: Translational, Mind and Body and Personalized Medicine

Principal Investigator: Dr. Frank MacMaster

Institutions Affiliated: University of Calgary

Students: Yamile Jasaui Carranza (Masters), Keon Ma (UGRAD)

Awards funded to project: 2

Background: Depression is a common neuropsychiatric disorder that is preferentially treated with antidepressants. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain and has evidence supporting it as an effective treatment option for depression-sometimes. This project uses brain scanning to explore what is special about individuals that respond to rTMS and what that would imply for their diagnosis.

Findings: This project has found distinct brain differences between depressed patients that respond to rTMS and those that don’t.

Implications: This project explores the possibility for biomarkers that would indicate responsiveness to rTMS as a form of personalized medicine. Additionally rTMS is a non-invasive intervention that could operate through natural neural mechanisms to change the disease progression of depression.

Type of project: Basic, Personalized Medicine

Principal Investigator: Dr. Oana Caluseriu

Institutions Affiliated: University of Alberta

Student: Cassandra Janetzki-Flatt (UGRAD)

Awards funded to project: 1

Background: As genotyping becomes more affordable it offers a great opportunity to predict risk for certain disorders and provide more information to physicians when making a diagnosis. This project explores this approach through congenital myasthenic syndromes, which result in gradual loss of muscle tone and motor dysfunctions.

Findings: This is a currently funded project pending results

Implications: Personalized medicine is the future of medical practice and will require all types of information to plan and execute effective therapies based on the individualized diagnosis. This project is a pioneer in exploring the genetic component to personalized medicine.

Type of project: Translational, Nutraceutical and Personalized Medicine

Principal Investigator: Dr. K Ming Chan

Institutions Affiliated: Grant MacEwan University

Student: Christopher Clarke (UGRAD)

Awards funded to project:1

Background: Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a dietary supplement that aids in many metabolic processes, and has recently been considered as a treatment option for neuropathic pain. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a disorder characterized by such neuropathic pain that has had limited success in treatment by conventional measures. This project first set out to develop a diagnostic tool for neuropathic pain to evaluate whether Acetyl-L-Carnitine would be an effective treatment option.

Findings: Using principles of neurotransmission, hot and cold water applications were used to assess pain sensory dysfunction in patients and controls. The diagnostic test was successful in separating patients from controls, demonstrating its utility in assessment in pain-based disorders.

Implications: With an adequate assessment tool, Acetyl-L-Carnitine can be properly evaluated as a possible treatment for neuropathic pain, such as those found in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.