Grant: CIHR New Investigator

Individuals vary hugely in the aspects of the world they perceive and remember: Some filter their environments through rose coloured glasses to perceive sources of pleasure, while others are overly tuned to signs of threat. Such affective biases in attention are distorted in emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as in addiction. It has been estimated that mental health disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and addiction disorders are the second leading cause of disability and premature death in Canada, costing the Canadian Health Care system ~$51 million annually. Given such costs, focused research on individual differences influencing neural circuitry and behaviours that contribute to such symptoms is essential. Yet much remains to be learned about neural mechanisms underlying such biases, and the factors that influence their potential for change. This study will investigate how common variations in genes that influence the activity of neurochemicals, or brain chemicals that influence how the brain functions, influence such biases, and how these can go awry in major depression and PTSD. Understanding these patterns will allow us to better predict why certain individuals may be more vulnerable to emotional disorders and addiction than others in the face of life's stresses. It will also help us to determine how different people may respond to specific treatments differently, where what helps one person harms another, to aid in developing individually tailored treatments.