Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Generally starting in adolescence, eating disorders are among the most burdensome mental health problems, with some of the longest recovery times and highest mortality rates. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, have one of the highest hospitalization costs in comparison to other disorders, thus there is an urgent need to increase our scientific understanding of these disorders and to increase early detection. Early detection gives patients and at-risk populations the best chance of recovery. The present research project aims to discover measurable markers in youth that are unique to eating disorders. To do that, we will study eye movements in youth with and without eating disorders. The study will be conducted at two research sites- Hotel Dieu Hospital (Kingston) and McMaster Children's Hospital (Hamilton)- where participants will complete a series of eye tracking tasks and questionnaires assessing thoughts, behaviour and personality. Eye tracking technology, used to record eye movements, is a low-cost and portable tool used in the study of various conditions. The biological mechanisms that guide eye movements are scientifically well understood. By examining differences in eye movements made during complex tasks, variations in cognition and frontal cortex activation can be discovered. Therefore, by comparing eye movement data with measurements of personality traits (e.g. impulsivity) and patient clinical information, we expect to detect typical markers of eating disorders. Our results have the potential to yield new insight on the biology of eating disorders. Identifying these markers could allow clinicians to diagnose eating disorders faster and more impartially, potentially fostering early diagnosis and prevention. By identifying eating disorders earlier, the costs to the health care system incurred due to lengthy eating disorder treatment may be minimized and eye tracking equipment can integrate within Canadian treatment clinics.