Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Adolescents are particularly at risk of developing an eating disorder. Eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa, are characterized by symptoms in relation to food, body image, and eating. As they are often associated with other health problems, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of possible risk and contributing factors to these disorders. Cognitive functions and brain processes are considered relevant and could play a role in developing and maintaining an eating disorder. For example, an individual who has difficulties adapting their thinking to changes in their environment may be at risk of eating disorder symptoms. Additionally, previous studies have shown differences in brain structure and activity between individuals with Anorexia Nervosa and those without. My doctoral research will focus on how cognitive functions and brain processes are related to eating disorder symptoms. Part (1) will involve looking at associations between early childhood cognitive functions and future development of eating disorder symptoms in adolescence. To do so, data collected over a long period of time (from birth to adolescence) in the province of Quebec will be used. Participants will complete different tasks of cognition in childhood and complete a questionnaire of symptoms in adolescence. Part (2) will involve a clinical study looking at brain characteristics of adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa. For this part of the project, adolescents with an eating disorder and others without will be recruited as part of a largescale neuro-imaging study across different sites in Canada. Participants will undergo a brain scan and connections between brain regions will also be observed. Results of this doctoral project will allow for a better understanding of factors contributing to eating disorders in youth. Clarifying those factors can in turn lead to more effective preventive and treatment interventions and ultimately reduce the number of youth with these devastating disorders.