Grant: Project Grant

Recent research indicates a high prevalence of co-occurring addiction, mental and physical illness in people living in homelessness or precarious housing such as single room occupancy hotels. The standardized mortality rate is over eight times higher than a Canadian sample matched for age and gender. Nearly half of people studied have a neurological illness, three-quarters a mental illness. These illnesses, especially if untreated, may accelerate aging, result in considerable secondary disability, and contribute to early mortality. The present proposal seeks to investigate risk factors for co-occurring illness, and perform detailed clinical evaluations of outcomes, using magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing. We will also investigate possible protective factors. Social networks are smaller than expected, but do contribute to behaviour and could be a source of strength. There is also a range of types of housing and support available. Although duration of time spent living in an impoverished neighbourhood contributes to cognitive decline, we will investigate the possibility that more recent, better supported housing can ameliorate some of these effects. Through neurological, cognitive, and brain imaging studies, we will learn how these risk and protect factors act on the brain, and in turn, the consequences for memory and movement disorders. The results will help identify targets for early intervention to prevent disability, and aid rehabilitation.